Association between Smokeless Tobacco and risk of malignant and premalignant conditions of oral cavity: A systematic review of Indian literature

Causative linkages of tobacco use with oral potentially malignant disorders and cancers of oral cavity have been studied. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in India. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) monograph found a significant association between smokeless tobacco (SLT) use and oral cancer. However, only a few limited studies have been represented on the IARC monograph. Published meta-analyses have provided pooled risk estimates for oral cancers caused by tobacco, both on global and regional levels. This systematic review was aimed at summarizing all the available studies exclusively in India by collecting data from PubMed and Medline. Emphasis was laid on cohort and case–control studies, and a few cross-sectional studies for premalignant lesions were also discussed. A significant association was noticed on SLT and premalignant and malignant oral cavity lesions.