Tobacco is the major cause of oral cancer, and this type of cancer is becoming the biggest threat amongst youngsters in India.
When 18-year-old Nayan* was diagnosed with oral cancer, it was too late; he had reached the fourth stage of the disease. He was given radiation therapy and doctors had to remove his upper jaw because the cancer had spread that much.
In Nayan’s case, it started with minor consumption of tobacco, and gradually increased to such an extent that ulcers began to grow in his oral cavity. This caused discomfort, and, many times, these lesions started bleeding. Nayan made up his mind to get rid of this habit, but this did not help much as there was already so much damage by then.
This happens in most cases of oral cancer. Often the habit of chewing tobacco is to eliminate the feeling of hunger, and many times people also like the flavor, and it soon becomes an addiction.
According to the National Cancer Registry Program (NCRP) of the Indian Council of Medical Research, 15.17 lakh cases of oral cancer were reported in statles like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, in 2017. Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest number of 2.5 lakh cases.
Cancer is one of the most common reasons for death in adults in India, and according to a report by the World Health Organization, in 2008, it caused 634,000 deaths and about 949,000 new cases. It is also revealed from the report that in India, men and women of the head and neck cancer and oral cavity, lip, pharynx and larynx cancer are often found. Because of these, there are some 17,00,000 new cases and there will be 9,60,000 deaths in the country this year. Among women, oral cancer is the third largest cause of death.
In the project of the Indian Council of Medical Research, which was supported by the World Health Organization, it has been found that tobacco intake is mainly responsible for 40.43 percent of cases of men’s death in India. Tobacco consumption is the most prominent cause and it is like a national burden. Cancer of the lungs, mouth and pharynx and to some extent esophagus cancer is associated with tobacco use. Cancers can be avoided in these organs by implementing cancer control strategies.
Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or targeted therapy, along with surgery for treatment in the advanced stage of oral cancer, is given. This therapy is given to the eye near the eye, or sometimes due to oral cancer, the patient’s eyes may also be completely defective. Surgeries such as tumor recovery are given to remove tumors, micrographic surgeries for lips, glossectomy (in which the tongue is extracted), a laminectomy (to remove maxillectomy, the voice box) to remove the next part of the palate of the mouth.
Treatment of oral cancer can be very difficult and the patient may also face many types of side effects due to radiation and chemo. In the fourth stage of the disease, the structure of the mouth may worsen in the condition of treatment and sometimes it is necessary to make cosmetic surgery to normalize the patient’s facial structure. In the advanced treatment of oral cancer, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are given so that the patient can be treated promptly.
Cancer is a major cause of death worldwide, and in 2008, 76 lakh deaths were due to it. Around 1.31 million deaths have been reported in the world due to cancer in 2030.