Even small amounts of alcohol increase oral cavity cancer risk

Mumbai: In what is a major cause of concern, a new study has found that even small amounts of alcohol increases oral cavity cancer risk.

The landmark study has been conducted by Centre for Cancer Epidemiology at the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai.

The study has demonstrated that there is no safe limit for alcohol drinking in the development of oral cancer.

“Even a low alcohol consumption of around one standard drink per day in India increases the risk of oral mucosal cancer by 50 per cent, with locally brewed alcohol having the highest risk,” says the large comparative study published online in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi, Director, ACTREC, Dr. Rajesh Dikshit, Director, Centre for Cancer Epidemiology, Dr. Sharayu Mhatre, the lead senior author of the study and Grace George from the research team shared the details at ACTREC, Kharghar.

The study highlighted that all forms of alcohol drinking whether it is international brand like beer, whisky, wine or locally produced brands from India like Mahua, Toddy, Desi Daru or Tharra increases the risk of buccal cavity cancer.

The study confirmed for the first time that chewing tobacco and drinking alcohol increase the risk of oral cancer fourfold compared to not having either habit. Controlling both tobacco and alcohol use is essential to prevent oral cavity cancer.

Researchers say oral cancer is the second most common cancer in India, with approximately 143,759 new cases and 79,979 deaths each year. The incidence of the disease is steadily increasing, with approximately 15 cases per 100,000 Indian men. The main form of oral cancer in India is cancer of the buccal mucosa, the soft pink lining of the cheeks and lips. Less than half of those affected survive for 5 years or more.

The study compared 1,803 patients with confirmed buccal mucosa cancer and 1,903 disease-free individuals between 2010 and 2021. Participants reported details of their alcohol consumption, including type, frequency, and duration. The findings showed that alcohol users had a 68 per cent higher risk than non-drinkers. Both international and locally brewed alcoholic beverages significantly increased the risk, nearly doubling it with the highest risk observed among consumers of locally produced country liquor.

Dr Chaturvedi suggested that now is the right time to strengthen and implement an alcohol control policy.

The current legal framework for alcohol control in India is complex and includes both central and state laws.

Alcohol is listed in the State List under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, which gives states the power to regulate and control the production, distribution, and sale of alcohol. However, the local alcohol market remains unregulated, with some participating liquors containing up to 90 per cent alcohol,” he explained.

Dr Dikshit said the results suggest that more than 1 in 10 cases (about 11.5 per cent of all buccal mucosa cancers) in India are due to alcohol-related causes, rising to over 15 per cent in some states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh, where the disease is more common. He stressed that in states like Gujarat, where alcohol sale is banned, the risk of alcohol-related oral cancer is much lower.