Betel quid chewing is responsible for half of oral cancer cases in India, finds study

Eliminating consumption of betel quids in India could halve the country’s burden of oral cancer, preventing more than 37 000 cases a year, a study has concluded.1

Oral cancers account for the highest cancer related mortality among men aged 30-69 in India.2 Chewing of the betel quid (often referred to as “paan”) is fairly common; the quid is usually made up of areca nut, catechu, slaked lime, and often tobacco, which are placed in a betel leaf and folded into the characteristic triangular shape. Chewing paan releases carcinogenic nitrosamines from the areca nut that can cause pre-neoplastic changes.3

To quantify the cancer risk of betel quid …