Fifty per cent of head and neck cancers related to smoking

Kerala has one of the highest reported incidences of head and neck cancers, which constitute over 30 per cent of all cancers in the Indian sub-continent.


A new study has revealed that over 50 per cent of head and neck cancers is due to smoking.


In the study involving 101,182 subjects during a Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) cancer screening trial, it was brought out that 50.5 per cent of head and neck cancer cases are attributed to tobacco use. 


Titled ‘Tobacco, alcohol, body mass index, physical activity, and the risk of head and neck cancer in the prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian (PLCO) cohort,’ the study also found out that the proportion of head and neck cancer cases attributed to tobacco and/or alcohol was 66 per cent. 


Of these, 50.5 per cent was due to tobacco use alone, 14.7 per cent from alcohol alone and 0.9 per cent from combination of tobacco and alcohol. 


Ranked sixth among the common cancers worldwide, head and neck cancers are a heterogeneous group of tumours involving the oral cavity (mouth), pharynx (throat), and larynx (voice-box). 


According to the World Cancer Report 2008, nearly 300,000 people die each year out of 400,000 approximate cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx and 160,000 cancers of the larynx. 

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School students vow against tobacco products use

More than five million school children across the state took the pledge 
against using and discouraging others from using addictive substances such as tobacco, pan masala and alcohol on International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.


A state-level event also was held jointly organised by the Departments of Excise and Education, Government of Kerala and Tobacco Free Kerala, in which more than 100 school students took the pledge. 


Inaugurating the event  the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Kerala Shri.Oommen Chandy reiterated the Government's decision to strictly enforce the ban on pan masala and gutkha containing tobacco and nicotine in Kerala.


He called upon the traders and dealers of such products to cooperate with the ban. 


"Based on request from the trading community and considering practicalities, we gave a month's time (till June 15) to remove their existing stock of pan masala products. The Government will strictly implement this ban since the allowed deadline is already over."


The Chief Minister said that the Government had banned the sale of pan masala and other addictive substances around 400 metres of educational institutions to keep away and completely discourage students from their use.


"Several people filed cases in the Court against this decision, but the Hon'ble Court also took a favourable stance, recognising the underlying social commitment."


The Government's strategy to tackle the drug menace is two-pronged -  reducing availability and spreading awareness. 


"The Government will give all possible support and encouragement to anti-drug/narcotic clubs in schools," Shri.Chandy added.


The Chief Minister gave away the trophy and cash award of Rs.10,000 to GM UP School, Malappuram for showcasing the best performance at the state-level in spreading the message against use of drugs. 


Adopting a participatory approach, the school and its students have used tools such as essay competitions, rallies and seminars in their fight against drugs and addictive substances.


Shri.Oommen Chandy also presented Mr.Jyothish Kumar of Kannur with a cash award of Rs.10,000 and a certificate for designing the official logo for the anti-drug campaign activities of the Excise Department.


In his presidential address, Shri.K.Babu, Hon'ble Minister for Excise outlined the awareness programmes conducted by the Excise Department in the last one year against drug abuse. He also remembered the decision to ban pan masala around 400 metres of schools was taken in the Cabinet meeting held on World No Tobacco Day 2011.

Worshipful Mayor of Trivandrum Corporation Adv.K.Chandrika administered the pledge to the gathered students.

Shri.Sarath Chandra Prasad Ex MLA, Shri.Anil X IAS, Excise Commissioner and Shri.R.K.Srikumaran Chettiyar, Joint Excise Commissioner also spoke. 



Shri.P.Janardana Aiyar, Hon.Secretary, Regional Cancer Association and Dr.K.Jayakrishnan, Associate Professor, Department of Community Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum were also present on the occasion.

Poster Exhibition

      

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Who will bell the cat?

Tobacco users looking to quit are often asked to seek help from their physicians or doctors. There are numerous studies that have authenticated that advice and help of a doctor can increase quit rates.


But the big question here is, can doctors give adequate advice if they themselves are under the influence of smoking and tobacco use.


Evidence of high (22.4%) prevalence of smoking among health care personnel, especially wannabe doctors, comes from a study of current smoking among 333 medical students, selected randomly from four batches of a teaching institution.


The study titled 'Prevalence and factor associated with current smoking among medical students in coastal South India,' analysed students in a cross-sectional study conducted during January and February 2009. The study subjects were given a self-administered pre-tested questionnaire and smoking status as per the WHO criteria.


More significantly, the study found widespread deficiencies in knowledge that smoking was an important causal factor for many diseases like gastro-intenstinal malignancy, heart problems, asthma and emphysema among students of different classes.


Further, only half of the study subjects were willing to quit smoking. Like with other student population, here too, peer pressure emerged as a major that got the medical students hooked on to this habit.

Who will bell the call then?


Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22710529


Image courtesy: Science Photo Library

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