Abstract

THE STUDY OF ORAL CANCER SYMPTOMS AMONG TOBACCO CONSUMING RURAL WOMEN IN KANPUR REGION

Alka Katiyar, Kamini Jain, Neelma Kunvar*, Ravish Katiyar, Pooja Gaur, Sadhna Vaish

Abstract

Oral cancer is one of the major health problems in the developing world. Consuming tobacco and its products is a known cause of oral cancer in the people from lower socioeconomic background. Tobacco consumption by women in India is very uncommon and socially unacceptable, but now a day the trend of tobacco habits has been increasing in rural women. This study was performed on 200 rural women of 20 to 60 years age group in the Kanpur region; those were consumed tobacco products as gutkha, khaini, bidi, cigeratte and pan with tobacco, individually. 18 (9%) women showed symptoms of mouth cancer. The prevalence of symptoms were found highest 11 (61%), among women of the age group of 50 to 60 years and lowest 2 (11%) in women of 20 to 30 years age group. In oral cancer symptoms the association of chewing gutkha was found highest (44%), followed by Khaini (27.7%), Pan with tobacco (16.6%), bidi (11%), Cigarette (0%).

Keywords: Oral cancer, Rural women, Tobacco products, Smokeless tobacco, Mortality.