Buccal Mucosa Carcinoma: A Comparative Relative Risk Analysis between Tobacco and Non Tobacco Users

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Oral Cancer Research
• Public Health

Background:

• Buccal mucosa carcinoma is prevalent in South India, linked to widespread tobacco use.
• Increasing areca nut (non-tobacco) chewing among young adults contributes to high morbidity and mortality.
• Understanding the etiology and risk factors for oral cancer is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the relative risk of buccal mucosa carcinoma in tobacco users versus non-tobacco users.
• To analyze demographic and clinical factors associated with oral cancer risk.
• To compare survival rates between tobacco and non-tobacco users.

Main Methods:

• Prospective comparative study conducted from 2013-2016 in Kanchipuram, South India.
• Subjects categorized into tobacco and non-tobacco user groups.
• Relative Risk (RR) calculated using Chi-square analysis; survival differences assessed via Kaplan-Meier (log-rank test).

Main Results:

• 117 subjects included: 87 (74.3%) tobacco users, 30 (25.7%) non-tobacco users.
• Significant differences observed in gender (RR=0.365) and age groups (RR=2.026) between groups.
• Clinical factors like TNM stage (RR=1.57), nodal status (RR=2.014), tumor grade (RR=1.293), perineural invasion (RR=2.601), and extracapsular invasion (RR=1.627) showed significant associations.
• Overall survival was 50%; tobacco users (44%) had significantly lower survival than non-tobacco users (57%) (p=0.042).

Conclusions:

• Tobacco consumption in various forms adversely affects survival in buccal mucosa carcinoma patients.
• Tobacco users exhibit significantly poorer survival outcomes compared to non-users.
• Tobacco use is associated with a more aggressive form of oral cancer.