Newsroom, December 25, 2025: Researchers from the Centre for Cancer Epidemiology and Homi Bhabha National Institute analysed over 1,800 patients with buccal mucosa cancer and nearly 1,900 controls across five centres from 2010 to 2021.
Results, published in BMJ Global Health, highlight how even low alcohol intake around one standard drink daily boosts risk significantly. Locally brewed alcohol carries the greatest danger, likely due to unregulated toxins.
Combined with chewing products like gutkha, khaini, or paan, alcohol drives most cases nationwide. Alcohol alone contributes about 11.5% of buccal mucosa cancers, higher in some northeastern and central states. India sees roughly 144,000 new oral cancer cases yearly, the second most common cancer, with survival often below 50% at five years.
