Even light drinking, around one standard drink a day, can significantly raise the risk of mouth cancer in India, with locally brewed alcohol being especially harmful.
Drinking small amounts of alcohol each day is linked to a significantly higher risk of mouth cancer in India. Consuming just 9 g of alcohol daily, roughly the amount in one standard drink, was associated with about a 50% increase in risk. The strongest association was seen with locally brewed alcoholic drinks.
When alcohol use was combined with chewing tobacco, the impact was even greater. Researchers estimate that this combination may account for roughly 62% of all mouth (buccal mucosa) cancer cases nationwide.
Mouth cancer
Mouth cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in India. Each year, the disease is responsible for an estimated 143,759 new cases and 79,979 deaths. According to the researchers, rates have steadily increased and now approach 15 cases per 100,000 Indian men.
The most common form affects the soft pink tissue lining the cheeks and lips (buccal mucosa). Survival outcomes remain poor, with fewer than half of those diagnosed, about 43%, living five years or longer.
Untangling Alcohol and Tobacco Risks
Alcohol use and tobacco consumption often occur together, making it difficult to determine how much each factor independently contributes to cancer risk. This is especially challenging in India, where smokeless tobacco use is widespread, the researchers explain. In addition, the potential health effects of locally brewed alcohol, which is widely consumed in rural areas, have not been well studied.
To address these gaps, the research team analyzed data from five study centers collected between 2010 and 2021. They compared 1,803 people diagnosed with buccal mucosa cancer with 1,903 randomly selected individuals without the disease (controls). Most participants were between the ages of 35 and 54, and nearly 46% of cancer cases occurred among people aged 25 to 45.
