Risk factors for oral cancer, a retrospective study among an Indian population

Abstract

ABSTRACT Degree project, Programme in Medicine Risk factors for oral cancer, a retrospective study among an Indian population. Lars Wennerström, University of Gothenburg, Sweden 2016. Introduction Oral cancer or oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is among the most common types of cancer in India and strongly linked to habits like smoking- and smokeless tobacco, alcohol and Areca nut chewing. In the western world an increasing number of HPV-positive OSCCs are diagnosed and differences in the expression of the immune system indicates that the pathogenesis of HPV-positive and HPV-negative OSCC differs. Aims To evaluate risk factors that increase the risk for malignancy in the oral cavity. Methods Patients were recruited from Kannur Dental College and asked to answer a question form about risk habits and medical history. The patients were then examined by a dentist and if appropriate, tissue samples were collected for later analysing. Results 19 patients were included in the study. Data analysing only showed significance for smokeless tobacco in combination with areca nut (P-value=0.021) as a habit that increases the odds (OR= 18.667) for presenting an OSCC. No tissue swabs were analysed during the timeframe for the thesis

Conclusions The results for smokeless tobacco and Areca nuts highlight the need for a stricter policy (or stricter implementation of the existing policy) to reduce the numbers of users. The negative results for the other habits is most likely due to the small number of patients included in the study.