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Introduction/Background. <p>Rural Northeast India carries a high burden of cancers that are detectable at early stage, including oral cavity, breast, and cervix. Health behaviours associated with these diseases, such as smokeless tobacco use and areca nut consumption, are widespread in this population.</p> Methods <p>In this cross-sectional study, opportunistic screening for oral (oral visual examination), breast (clinical breast examination), and cervical (visual inspection with acetic acid or Lugol’s iodine) cancers was offered to caregivers of cancer patients and carried out by trained nurses in the outpatient department. Age-adjusted regression models were used to calculate prevalence differences and 95% confidence intervals for precancerous lesions or cancer by risk factor exposure status.</p> Results <p>Among 8,141 screening participants, 312 were diagnosed with pre-cancer and 8 with cancer. Almost 90% of participants lived in a rural setting. Combined tobacco and areca nut chewing had a significantly higher prevalence of pre-cancer or cancer diagnosis than chewing neither (age-adjusted PD = 5.39%; 95% CI: 4.44%, 6.34%), as did smoking tobacco vs. not smoking (age-adjusted PD = 9.49%; 95% CI: 7.51%, 11.64%). This pattern of significance held across strata of sex and residence, and was observed among participants younger than 40 years old.</p> Conclusion <p>Established risk factors for oral, breast, and cervical cancers were highly prevalent in this population. Tobacco and areca nut chewing was especially common. Our results call attention to the importance of education on cancer risk factors and the benefits of early detection, as well as the value of opportunistic screening programs in resource-constrained settings.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Prevalence of Cancer Risk Factors and their Association with Abnormal Cancer Screening Results in a Resource-constrained Tertiary Cancer Care Centre in Rural India

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月25日

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  • Subhadra Goala,
  • John D. Murphy

摘要

Introduction/Background.

Rural Northeast India carries a high burden of cancers that are detectable at early stage, including oral cavity, breast, and cervix. Health behaviours associated with these diseases, such as smokeless tobacco use and areca nut consumption, are widespread in this population.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, opportunistic screening for oral (oral visual examination), breast (clinical breast examination), and cervical (visual inspection with acetic acid or Lugol’s iodine) cancers was offered to caregivers of cancer patients and carried out by trained nurses in the outpatient department. Age-adjusted regression models were used to calculate prevalence differences and 95% confidence intervals for precancerous lesions or cancer by risk factor exposure status.

Results

Among 8,141 screening participants, 312 were diagnosed with pre-cancer and 8 with cancer. Almost 90% of participants lived in a rural setting. Combined tobacco and areca nut chewing had a significantly higher prevalence of pre-cancer or cancer diagnosis than chewing neither (age-adjusted PD = 5.39%; 95% CI: 4.44%, 6.34%), as did smoking tobacco vs. not smoking (age-adjusted PD = 9.49%; 95% CI: 7.51%, 11.64%). This pattern of significance held across strata of sex and residence, and was observed among participants younger than 40 years old.

Conclusion

Established risk factors for oral, breast, and cervical cancers were highly prevalent in this population. Tobacco and areca nut chewing was especially common. Our results call attention to the importance of education on cancer risk factors and the benefits of early detection, as well as the value of opportunistic screening programs in resource-constrained settings.

Graphical Abstract