Oral cancer due to use of tobacco is the leading cause of cancer related death among Indian men. About 2000 deaths a day in India is tobacco related. According to GA TS India findings in 2010, current tobacco use in any form in India is as follows :- 34.6% of adults ; 47.9% of males & 20.3% of females. 11.9% of teens aged 13 - 15 use tobacco products other than cigarettes. Everyday 5,500 children & adolescents below the age of 18 take to using tobacco products. Every two seconds, one Indian child tries tobacco for the first time. Around twenty thousands in one lakh individuals in India suffer from oral cancer. 90% of oral cancer attributed to chewing tobacco & supari. The most common sites of the oral cancer are the tongue & the floor of the mouth. The other common sites are buccal vestibule, buccal mucosa & gingiva etc. Cancer of buccal - pharyngeal mucosa is common in smokers. 50% of oral cancer patients die within 12 months of diagnosis. A small proportion of patients get cured but live with severe disability. So it is advisable to stay away from tobacco to lead a healthy life.
