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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : May 31, 2014 1:06 PM IST
May 31 is World No Tobacco Day.
Specialists at the head and neck cancer department of Narayana Health City have concluded that there is a diminishing trend in the age group of patients diagnosed with oral cancer. Traditionally, it used to be people in the age group of 50-60 years who were affected with oral cancer caused by tobacco use, but of
recent, this has dropped to 20-35 years.
Dr Vikram Kekatpure, senior consultant, head and neck surgery department, Narayana Health, said: 'About 30% of oral cancer cases we get today are in the age group of 25-35 years old and about 80% of the cases detected are in stage 3 and stage 4, which are irreversible in most cases. Strangely, we are getting lot of women with oral cancer from the lower socio-economic group comprising almost about 50%. All these people might have got into the habit of tobacco use in the form of ghutka around 1990-2000.'
Easy access to tobacco products is a major reason for youngsters picking up the habit and becoming early prey to oral cancer. Hence, raising taxes on tobacco is the only way out to curtail consumption of tobacco, he asserted.
Meanwhile, a World Health Organization study have proven that increasing the price of tobacco through higher taxes is the single most effective way to encourage tobacco users to quit and prevent children from starting to smoke. The study has shown 10% increase in taxes on beedi would reduce the consumption by 9.2% in rural India and 8.5% in urban India. Hence, internationally it has been recommended to have a uniform increase in taxes on all tobacco products to prevent users to switch from one product to another.
The World Bank recommends a 65% to 80% tax on tobacco products. Compared to the neighbouring states, Karnataka has the lowest tax levied on tobacco products. Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu levy 20% on cigarettes and in Maharashtra it is 25%.
What is oral cancer?
Oral cancer includes cancers of the lips, cheeks, tongue, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses and throat (pharynx). It may originate in any of the tissues of the mouth or may be a result of metastasis from a different part of the body. If not diagnosed and treated early, they can be life threatening.
There are many risk factors for developing oral cancer. If you are a man, you are twice as likely to get oral cancer as a women and the risk increases with age. You are more likely to develop a head and neck cancer if you have a history of cancer. Precancerous (premalignant) lesions are those lesions, which precede the development of full-blown cancer. These lesions are changes in skin or lining of the mouth that are not cancer but could trigger it. Common pre-cancerous conditions that occur in the mouth are Leukoplakia, Erythroplakia and Oral Submucous fibrosis.
Most cases of oral cancer are linked to one or the other form of tobacco use (cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, chewing tobacco, dipping snuff, cigars, bidis, etc.).
Here are some changes that you can make to your lifestyle to prevent oral cancer:
1. Quit Tobacco Chewing: It is a proven fact that tobacco whether chewed raw or in the form of gutka is the single biggest cause of oral cancer in India.
2. Quit Smoking: Smoking in any form whether cigarettes, bidi, pipes or hukka is well known to cause oral cancer. Read more about the 25 things that happen in your body when you smoke.
3. QuitBetel nut and Pan masala: Betel nut or supari is an independent risk factor for oral cancer and it is the main ingredients of pan masala.
4. Quit Alcohol: Alcohol is an established risk factor for oral cancer. The carcinogenicity increases many folds when consumed along with tobacco.
5. Maintain Good Oral Hygiene: Brush and floss your teeth daily as bad oral hygiene is a known risk factor for oral cancer.
6. Regular Self Oral examination: Examine your oral cavity in good light once every month to look for non-healing ulcers, areas of bleeding, abnormal patches or any swellings, as these may be signs of cancer and early detection means better cure.
For more tips read: Top 10 tips to keep oral cancer at bay
With inputs from DNA Syndication
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