New study shows that one in three cases of oral cancer globally are due to smokeless tobacco and areca nut use

A new study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partners evaluates the global burden of oral cancer linked to smokeless tobacco and areca nut use. In 2022, more than 120 000 cases of oral cancer were caused by these risk factors, accounting for one third of oral cancer cases globally. The analysis, published today in The Lancet Oncology, highlights that nearly 9 in 10 (88%) of all oral cancer cases caused by smokeless tobacco and areca nut use occurred in South-Central Asia and more than 95% (96.4%) occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

Rumgay H, Nethan ST, Shah R, Vignat J, Ayo-Yusuf O, Chaturvedi P, et al.
Global burden of oral cancer in 2022 attributable to smokeless tobacco and areca nut consumption: a population attributable fraction analysis
Lancet Oncol. Published online 9 October 2024;
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(24)00458-3

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