Cancer Awareness
India has among the highest rates of oral cancer in the world, driven by gutka, khaini and pan masala. It is one of the few cancers you can see developing in a mirror.
Oral cancer accounts for a very large share of male cancers in India, and the great majority of cases are attributable to smokeless tobacco — gutka, khaini, zarda, pan masala with tobacco — often combined with areca nut and alcohol.
It is also one of the few cancers preceded by clearly visible changes that appear months to years beforehand. Anyone who uses tobacco can check for them, and any dentist or doctor can identify them in a two-minute examination.
Difficulty opening the mouth fully — if you cannot fit three of your own fingers vertically between your teeth — suggests oral submucous fibrosis, a recognised pre-cancerous condition.
Once a month, in good light before a mirror: pull the lips out and look at the inner surfaces and gums; pull each cheek outward and inspect the inner lining, including the back where tobacco is often held; stick out the tongue and look at the top, then lift it and examine the underside and the floor of the mouth; tilt your head back and look at the roof of the mouth; then feel along both sides of the neck and under the jaw for lumps.
It takes two minutes. Anything that persists beyond three weeks goes to a doctor.
Risk begins falling from the day of quitting and continues to fall for years. Even long-term users benefit substantially. The National Tobacco Quitline (1800-11-2356) offers free counselling in regional languages, and nicotine replacement therapy is available and effective.
Practical steps that help: choose a quit date and tell your family; remove all tobacco and associated items from the house and vehicle; identify your trigger situations — after meals, with tea, with friends — and plan a specific substitute for each; and treat a lapse as a stumble rather than a failure. Most people who quit successfully have made several attempts.
This article is general health education written and reviewed by the Department of Surgical Oncology at SIMS. It is not a substitute for an examination, a diagnosis or the advice of your own treating doctor, and it cannot account for your history, medicines or reports. If a symptom is sudden or severe — chest pain, stroke symptoms, breathing difficulty, serious injury, seizures or heavy bleeding — call 9281862028 or come straight to the emergency department instead of reading further.
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