Oral Biopsy and Tobacco Cessation
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Respected Editor, I read with great interest a very nice article on the topic of tobacco cessation by Peters TM, Phillips C, Murrah VA titled “Is Oral Biopsy Associated With Change in Tobacco or Alcohol Use?” published in Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Volume 75 Issue 10, October 2017 in which they have concluded that oral biopsy not only helps in objective diagnosis for patient management but also acts as a behavioral change agentleading to risk factor cessation in case of oral premalignant and malignant lesions.[1] Oral cancer ranks sixth among all types of cancer in the world. India accounts for the largest number of oral cancer cases and about one third of the total burden of oral cancer in the world.[2] In India, around 77,000 new cases and 52,000 deaths are reported annually, which is approximately one-fourth of global incidences.[2,3] Tobacco consumption has been the most important risk factor causing oral cancer. The continual use of tobacco in various forms such as gutka, zarda, mawa, kharra, khaini, cigarettes, bidi, and hookah is a major cause of tumor development in the oral cavity in both young and the adult Indian population.[2,4] Many methods have been used for tobacco cessation which includes behavioral therapy, such as counseling, and pharmacotherapy, including nicotine replacement therapy and bupropion hydrochloride. I believe that oral biopsy as a method of behavior cessation should be adopted by the clinicians in India. In India, the caseload of oral cancers is very high and all possible methods of tobacco cessation should be adopted by otorhinolaryngologists, head-and-neck surgeons, dentists, and primary care providers who deal with such cases. Instead of following wait and watch policy for suspicious oral lesions, it is better to do a biopsy to confirm diagnosis and use it as a deterrent for tobacco cessation. The advantage of oral biopsy is that it can be performed in any setup where basic surgical Operation Theatre (O.T) facilities are available. Many times, it is observed that diagnosis of oral premalignant lesions on biopsy makes the patient health conscious and leads to complete cessation of tobacco consumption instantaneously as well documented biopsy report is handed to the patient. It is felt that any strategy which may lead to tobacco cessation quickly and with good patient compliance such as oral biopsy must be adopted by the clinicians for tobacco cessation so as to fulfill the objectives of the National Tobacco Control Programme in India. More original clinical trials on the topic of oral biopsy as a deterrent for tobacco consumption needs to be done in the future so as to support the hypothesis that oral biopsy leads to tobacco cessation in suspicious oral lesions. Disclosure This material has never been published and is not currently under evaluation in any other peer-reviewed publication. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.
Author: Soumick Ranjan Sahoo
Institution: Steel Authority of India Limited
Language: English
Subfield: General Dentistry
Field: Dentistry
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4399701534