KEEPING CHEWING TOBACCO IN THE CHEEK POUCH OVERNIGHT (NIGHT QUID) INCREASES RISK OF CHEEK CARCINOMA

Chewing Chewable Indian Tobacco (CIT) is a popular addiction in India. Some of the addicts keep the bolus of chewed tobacco tucked in the gi ngivo-labial sulcus (cheek pouch) overnight. This is known as the habi t of the night quid. To assess the influence of night quid on the deve lopment of oral cancer we carried out this case control observational study in the Out Patient Department of Surgery, Sir Sunder Lal Hospita l, Varanasi, India. A total of 105 consecutive oral cancer patients (e pidermoid carcinoma) and 71 sex- and age-matched CIT addicts of the sa me duration of addiction were investigated for the habit of the night quid, The habit increased the risk of development of cheek carcinoma s ignificantly at Odd's Ratio of 12.5. Simply giving up the habit of nig ht quid could help in the reduction of oral cancer in CIT addicts.