Smokeless Tobacco and Oral Cancer in Global Perspective
Cat article fait le point sur la corrélation entre le tabac sans fumée et les cancers de la bouche dans le monde
Smokeless tobacco (ST) use is a leading contributor to oral cancer and mortality worldwide — but both ST use and oral cancer are preventable. Clinical interventions are critical to reducing the burden of disease.
ST products are used by more than 360 million people in 140 countries. The vast majority of these users (77%) are in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially in Southeast Asia. ST use is particularly high in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Papua New Guinea. And whereas rates of cigarette smoking have declined in most countries in recent decades, ST use has been increasing.
ST is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a group 1 carcinogen in humans. According to data from GLOBOCAN (Global Cancer Observatory), the incidence of oral cancer, the primary type of cancer linked to ST, has been increasing, particularly in countries with high ST use. There were 389,846 new cases of oral cancer globally in 2022. In South Asia, oral cancers are the most common cancers among men. By far the largest numbers of oral cancer cases and deaths occur in India — not surprising, given its population size and prevalence of ST use.
New England Journal of Medicine , article en libre accès, 2026