'Genes push cancer onset a decade earlier in chewers'

A landmark genome-wide association study (GWAS) by the Centre for Cancer Epidemiology at ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, has identified important genetic reasons why some tobacco chewers in India develop oral cancer nearly 10 years earlier than others.

- Amit Srivastava

The study, published in eBioMedicine (The Lancet Discovery Science), points to specific genetic markers that significantly increase the risk of developing buccal mucosa cancer, one of India’s most common yet preventable cancers.

Buccal mucosa cancer is a type of oral cancer that develops in the inner lining of the cheeks and is often linked to tobacco use, alcohol consumption and poor oral hygiene.