The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: To determine the role of tobacco smoking, alcohol and their combination, and diet factors in the etiology of cancer of the oral and esophagus.

Methods: Risk factors like alcohol consumption, smoking, tobacco chewing, and pre-illness diet details in 90 patients with cancer of the oral and esophagus were compared with those in age- and sex-matched control subjects

Results: The risk for oral and esophageal cancer was 3.5 times higher with alcohol consumption with smoked food, 2.5 times higher for tobacco users, and 2.8 times higher each for betel nut chewers and smokers. The calculated odds ratio for the social habits and diet factors(smoked foods) was significant amongst cases of oral & esophagus cancer.Alcoholism,smoked food, smoking, and chewing of tobacco are factors predisposing to oral and esophageal cancer in Nepal. Inspite of poverty, illiteracy and work load most of the people takes local made alcohol, unfiltered cigarette smoking and chewing of tobacco with slaked lime.