'Quitting tobacco first step to preventing oral cancer' -Governance Now

'Quitting tobacco first step to preventing oral cancer'

Tata Memorial study shows smoking, chewing cessation lowers buccal mucosa cancer risk by up to 61%, reinforcing the critical role of quitting in cancer prevention

Geetanjali Minhas | February 21, 2026 | Mumbai

#Healthcare #Cancer

A study from the Centre for Cancer Epidemiology at the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, has provided new evidence that quitting tobacco, both smoking and chewing, substantially reduces the risk of oral cancer. Published in the International Journal of Cancer, the research highlights long-term benefits of cessation, offering critical guidance for public health interventions in India.

The study demonstrates that individuals who quit smoking experience a 61% reduction in the risk of oral cavity cancer, while those who stop chewing tobacco see a 42% risk reduction after ten years compared to continuous users. Despite these encouraging figures, researchers emphasize that the risk for former users never fully aligns with individuals who have never used tobacco.

“Quitting reduces risk significantly, but the safest option remains never to start,” explained Dr Rajesh, Director of the Centre for Cancer Epidemiology and lead author of the study, during an interaction here on Friday.

For the first time, the benefits of smokeless tobacco cessation have been clearly quantified. With India reporting nearly 30% of adults as current tobacco chewers, these findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen cessation strategies alongside preventive policies.

Dr Sudeep Gupta, Director of Tata Memorial Centre, stressed, “Tobacco chewing is the single most preventable cause of oral cancer, with over 80% of cases potentially avoidable through effective control policies. These findings provide evidence to reinforce ongoing government cessation programs.”

The Government of India has established over 2,000 Tobacco Cessation Centres across hospitals, dental colleges, and medical colleges, alongside four National Tobacco Quit-Line Services (NTQLS) offering counselling in multiple regional languages. These platforms aim to support current users through in-person, digital, and telephonic interventions.

Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, Director of ACTREC, highlighted, “Tobacco use in any form is a strong risk factor for oral cancer. Cessation is critical for those who have already initiated these habits, and this study provides data-backed motivation for quitting.”

The research also holds implications for counselling and policy-making.

Dr Sharayu Mhatre, Scientific Officer and lead author, remarked, “These findings provide concrete evidence that all forms of tobacco are harmful, but cessation can reverse risk. This can guide motivational counselling and strengthen future government intervention policies.”

Oral cancer remains a significant public health challenge in India, accounting for nearly one-third of global cases, with approximately 141,342 new diagnoses annually. Major risk factors include tobacco use, alcohol, areca nut chewing, and poor oral hygiene, compounded by genetic susceptibility in certain populations.

The study funded by Department of Health Research, employed a case-control design, comparing patients with oral cancer to matched controls, to identify the impact of cessation over time.

Comments

Other News

A 19th-century pilgrim’s progress

The Travels of a Sadhu in the Himalayas By Jaladhar Sen (Translated by Somdatta Mandal) Speaking Tiger Books, 259 pages, ₹499.00

India faces critical shortage of skin donors amid rising burn cases

India reports nearly 70 lakh burn injury cases every year, resulting in approximately 1.4 lakh deaths annually. Experts estimate that up to 50% of these lives could be saved with adequate access to skin donations. A significant concern is that around 70% of burn victims fall wi

Not just politics, let`s discuss policies too

Why public policy matters Most days, India`s loudest debates stop at the ballot box. We can name every major leader and recall every campaign slogan. Still, far fewer of us can explain why a widow`s pension is delayed or how a government school`s budget is actually approved. That

When algorithms decide and children die

The images have not left me, of dead and wounded children being carried in the arms of the medics and relatives to the ambulances and hospitals. On February 28, at the start of Operation Epic Fury, cruise missiles struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh school – officially named a girls’ school, in Minab,

The economics of representation: Why women in power matter

India’s democracy has grown in scale, but not quite in balance. Women today are active participants in elections, influencing outcomes in ways that were not as visible earlier. Yet their presence in legislative institutions continues to lag behind. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was meant to addres

India will be powerful, not aggressive: Bhaiyyaji

India is poised to emerge as a global power but will remain rooted in its civilisational ethos of non-aggression and harmony, former RSS General Secretary Suresh `Bhaiyyaji` Joshi has said. He was speaking at the launch of “Rashtrabhav,” a book by Ravindra Sathe