Association of Oral Cancer Site with Addiction and Sociodemographic Characteristics: A Cross-sectional study Conducted at a Tertiary Health Centre

IntroductionIn contemporary epidemic scenarios, oral cancer ranks within the top 3 cancer types afflicting the Indian population. The primary risk factors include alcohol consumption, tobacco usage in various forms such as cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, betelnut chewing, and infection with the human papilloma virus. Materials and MethodsThis study, conducted at a tertiary healthcare centee, adopted a hospital-based cross-sectional approach involving 233 oral cancer patients who sought medical care from January 1st to December 31st, 2017. ResultsThe findings indicate that males above the age of 60 (40.11%) and females aged between 41 and 50 years (45.45%) were the most affected groups, a statistically significant association (p<0.05) was found. The primary sites for oral cancer were identified as the cheek (40.36%) and tongue (31.78%). Remarkably, Majority of male patients exhibited a combination of addictions, including tobacco chewing, smoking, and alcohol use, whereas most female patients were exclusively involved in tobacco chewing. ConclusionIn order to curb the escalating prevalence of oral cancer in India, it is imperative to implement comprehensive public education initiatives and health promotion strategies aimed at reducing both smoking and alcohol consumption.