A study of the etiological factors in cancer of the mouth

Summary.-A retrospective case-control study of 200 patients with head and neck cancer, and 200 controls matched for age and sex, confirmed the importance of tobacco and alcohol consumption in the aetiology of malignant tumours of the upper gastrointestinal and upper respiratory tracts. A male-female ratio of 3:1 was found, and the association of smoking with laryngeal cancer and of alcohol with cancer of the tongue was particularly strong. A significant excess of alcohol-related occupations was found among the cases. These findings are discussed.

Section: Combined Effect Of Tobacco and Alcohcmentioning

confidence: 99%

A case-control study of head and neck cancer in the Republic of Ireland

Herity¹,

Moriarty²,

Bourke³

et al. 1981

“…The disease was also strongly associated to lower socioeconomic status in a study from Sicily (Dardanoni et al, 1984), again indirectly pointing to a role of ultraviolet light exposure. It has been associated with tobacco smoking, particularly pipe smoking, but there is little evidence that alcohol has a role on its aetiology (Wynder et al, 1957;Boyle et al, 1990 (Levi, 1987 Figure 1 in order to show the steady and substantial decline in both sexes (from 1.8 to 0.6/100,000 males; from 0.14 to 0.02/100,000 females). Assuming an exponential model for change in rates.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in lip cancer incidence in Vaud, Switzerland

Levi

Vecchia²,

Te³

et al. 1993

Recent trends in lip cancer incidence in the Swiss Canton of Vaud (approximately 600,000 inhabitants in 1990) were analysed over the period 1975-1990, when a total of 87 cases were registered. A steady and substantial decline was observed in both sexes, since age-standardised (world) rates declined from 1.8 to 0.6/100,000 males and from 0.14 to 0.02/100,000 females. These downward trends were evident across subsequent age groups. These trends were apparently not due to changes in registration or classification criteria in the study period and are discussed in terms of decreased occupational exposure to ultraviolet light, and reduced pipe and cigar smoking.

“…The epidemiology of gingival carcinoma has been studied previously as part of a case spectrum consisting of other intra oral and head and neck cancers (Sanghvi et al, 1955;Shanta & Krishnamoorthy, 1959, 1963Wahi et al, 1965;Jussawalla & Deshpande, 1971;Jayant et al, 1977: Notani, 1988Wynder et al, 1957;Winn et al, 1981. However, aetiology of cancers may vary from site to site within the oral cavity.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Tobacco chewing, alcohol and nasal snuff in cancer of the gingiva in Kerala, India

Sankaranarayanan

Duffy²,

Padmakumary³

et al. 1989

Summary A case-control study of cancer of the gingiva was carried out in Kerala, Southern India, using 187 cases and 895 hospital-based controls. We investigated the effects on risk in males of pan (betel)-tobacco chewing, bidi and cigarette smoking, drinking alcohol and taking snuff. In females only pan-tobacco chewing was investigated as very few females indulged in the other habits. Among males, significant positive associations with risk were observed for pan-tobacco chewing (P<0.001), bidi smoking (P<0.001), alcohol drinking (P<0.001) and snuff use (P<0.05). In females, pan-tobacco chewing had a similar predisposing effect (P<0.001). Daily frequency of pan-tobacco chewing was the strongest predictor of risk in males, with a relative risk of 15.07 associated with chewing ten or more quids per day. The corresponding relative risk among females was 13.69. In males a relative risk of 3.20 was associated with smoking more than 20 bidis per day, and relative risks of 2.62 and 3.90 were associated with regular use of alcohol and snuff respectively. Surprisingly high relative risks were observed in association with occasional use of pan-tobacco, bidi, cigarettes, alcohol and snuff. A stepwise logistic regression analysis yielded four predictors: pan-tobacco daily frequency, duration of bidi use, and alcohol and snuff use (regular versus never). There were also significantly elevated risks associated with occasional indulgence in these four habits. Total lifetime exposure was no better at predicting risk than daily frequency or duration of habits.Cancer of the gingiva is an uncommon malignancy in many parts of the world. The highest incidence rates which are of the order of 2.3 per 100,000 population per year are reported from the Indian subcontinent (Muir et al., 1987). In many parts of India it constitutes 10-15% of all intra oral cancers and 2-3% of all incident cancers (National Cancer Registry Project, India, 1982-1985Krishnan Nair et al., 1988).The epidemiology of gingival carcinoma has been studied previously as part of a case spectrum consisting of other intra oral and head and neck cancers (Sanghvi et al., 1955;Shanta & Krishnamoorthy, 1959, 1963Wahi et al., 1965;Jussawalla & Deshpande, 1971;Jayant et al., 1977: Notani, 1988 Pan chewing, pan-tobacco chewing, bidi smoking, cigarette smoking, alcohol and nasal snuff inhalation were the habits ascertained for the cases and controls. Pan chewing is defined as chewing of a quid containing fresh betel leaves (Piper betle), arecanut (Areca catechu) and aqueous lime (calcium hydroxide). Locally cured tobacco leaves and/or stem are added to the quid in pan-tobacco. Bidi is a local cigarette containing 0.5 g of coarse tobacco dust rolled in a dried temburni leaf. The alcohol predominantly consumed is either 'toddy' (a locally fermented distilled sap from palm trees) or another locally brewed liquor called 'arrack' (approximately 40% ethanol) or both. Consumption of wine, beer, brandy, whiskey, gin and rum, collectively known as 'foreign liquors' is uncommon. The snu...