Latest news with #DepartmentofRadiationOncology
Hans India
12 hours ago
- Health
- Hans India
Why tobacco-style warnings on alcohol bottles can aid fight against cancer
New Delhi: Adopting tobacco-style warning labels on alcohol bottles can be a key measure to prevent the rising burden of cancer in India, said experts on Tuesday. A recent paper, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, called for strong, evidence-based warning labels on alcohol products, building on India's success with tobacco warnings. Alcohol, like tobacco, is a proven carcinogen linked to several cancers, including liver, breast and colon, yet awareness remains low. 'Cancer warning labels on alcohol bottles are a low-cost, high-impact intervention that can raise awareness, influence consumption habits, and prevent long-term health harm,' lead author Dr Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, told IANS. 'With India having one of the fastest-growing alcohol markets and the largest adolescent population globally, adopting such preventive measures is not just necessary but urgent to protect our youth and reduce the nation's growing burden of alcohol-related cancers,' the oncologist added. Cancer cases in India have seen a steep rise, with data from the 2012 to 2022 period suggesting a 36 per cent uptick in incidence (1.01 million−1.38 million). Data from GLOBOCAN 2022 showed about 1.41 million new cancer cases in India, with a five-year prevalence of around 3.25 million and a total cancer mortality of 916,827 cases. The alcohol attributable fraction for cancer and age-standardised rate per 100,000 in India are 4.7 per cent and 4.8, respectively, according to the GLOBOCAN 2020 data. 'Alcohol consumption in India is rising at an alarming pace, particularly among adolescents and young adults, making it a silent driver of preventable cancers. Evidence now confirms there is no safe level of alcohol use when it comes to cancer risk, with links to cancers of the colon, breast, liver, oral cavity, and more,' Shankar said. 'Among preventable diseases and deaths, alcohol-related conditions rank high. It raises the risk of many types of cancer and also liver cirrhosis -- all of which are expensive and cumbersome to treat,' added Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, Chairman, Scientific Committee, IMA Cochin. The expert also called out against glorifying the use of alcohol in movies. 'Unfortunately, our movie culture glorifies alcohol use, with younger viewers wanting to emulate movie characters despite statutory warnings. There is also rampant misinformation circulating on social media claiming the health benefits of alcohol, almost all of which have been proven wrong. Still, many people wrongly believe it is good for the heart. Therefore, it is important to include clear health-related labels,' Jayadevan told IANS. Meanwhile, studies have linked alcohol consumption with more than 20 types of cancers. The most common cancers linked to alcohol are of the mouth, throat, foodpipe, stomach, colon, rectum, and pancreas. It also causes cancers of the breast in women and prostate in males.. According to experts, chronic alcohol consumption weakens the immune system, reducing its capacity to identify and destroy cancerous cells. 'India successfully demonstrated the power of pictorial warnings on tobacco in shifting behaviors and saving lives. It is time we apply the same public health tool to alcohol. With rising alcohol use, especially among youth, it's time to act proactively to prevent avoidable cancers and save lives,' Shankar told IANS.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Why cancer care needs to include oral health
Once viewed as peripheral to broader medical concerns, oral health is now being recognised as a critical determinant in systemic diseases including cancer. A growing body of research from India and globally highlights how chronic periodontal conditions, oral pathogens and poor access to dental care significantly influence the risk, progression and outcomes of cancers, particularly in the oral cavity, digestive tract and pancreas. Persistent burden and patchy surveillance Globally, an estimated 3.5 billion people are affected by oral diseases. While many countries have seen improved oral health indicators in recent decades, India has not kept pace. Oral disorders remain one of the leading causes of disability in the country, affecting individuals across age groups and socioeconomic strata. India's last national oral health survey was conducted in 2007–08. Since then, there has been no updated, nationwide data, leading to significant blind spots in planning and policy. The Draft National Oral Health Policy (2021) outlines the need for baseline data by 2025 and proposes a 15% reduction in mortality and morbidity due to orofacial diseases by 2030. However, without reliable surveillance systems or integration with broader public health efforts, these goals remain aspirational. Also, the World Health Organization has recognised oral health as a vital component of non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention, calling for stronger integration between dental and general medical care. Cancer risk and the oral cavity A recent study titled 'Oral Health and its Expanding Role in Systemic Disease, Cancer Outcomes, and Public Health', published in The Lancet, by Abhishek Shankar, assistant professor and Vaibhav Saini, scientist from the Department of Radiation Oncology at AIIMS, Delhi, underlines how oral hygiene may serve as a modifiable risk factor in cancer. Drawing on data from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium, the authors report that good oral hygiene is associated with a modest reduction in head and neck cancer risk. Observational data further suggest a possible association between periodontal disease, root canal infections, and increased risk of pancreatic and upper gastrointestinal cancers. 'The evidence certainly points towards considering oral health as an integral part of cancer care,' the study investigators note, emphasising the need to embed dental care within oncology pathways. Oral pathogens are also implicated in cancer biology. Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia, commonly found in chronic gum disease, are increasingly understood to influence tumour development. 'P. gingivalis evades immune surveillance, invades host tissues, and promotes cancer proliferation,' write Dr. Shankar and Dr. Saini. 'P. intermedia, on the other hand, alters the tumour microenvironment and down regulates tumour suppressors.' Syed Ismail Nawab John, clinical lead at MGM Cancer Institute, Chennai, adds that bacteria such as Fusobacterium nucleatum have been linked with colorectal cancer by altering local immune responses. 'Bacterial byproducts such as butyrate can damage DNA and disrupt cellular repair. In a large cohort study published in Gut in 2018, individuals with severe periodontal disease had a 20–50% higher risk of developing pancreatic and colorectal cancers.' Vijay Pillai, senior consultant and chief of head and neck surgical oncology at Narayana Health City, Bengaluru, notes that oral dysbiosis -- an imbalance or disruption in the community of microorganisms (microbiome) that naturally inhabit the oral cavity, especially involving Fusobacterium and Bacteroides may contribute to a pro-inflammatory state that favours tumour progression. 'Early detection of potentially malignant lesions can significantly downstage disease and improve outcomes,' he says. Impact on cancer treatment Oral health also has implications for cancer therapy. Radiotherapy for head and neck cancers disrupts the oral microbiome, often suppressing protective bacteria and allowing harmful strains to thrive. 'Patients with periodontal disease who undergo radiotherapy are particularly susceptible to complications such as impaired bone healing,' say the AIIMS researchers. Retention of natural teeth and frequent dental consultations are linked to better survival in head and neck cancer patients. In contrast to Western countries, where oral health data are routinely collected through registries, India and much of Southeast Asia lack comprehensive oral health surveillance. 'Region-specific data is essential for relevant decision-making,' stress Dr. Shankar and Dr. Saini. 'Existing registries and collaborations are underutilised unless integrated into national cancer care frameworks.' Dr. John concurs, calling the absence of surveillance a major public health downside. 'Integrating dental metrics into cancer registries would be a strategic step forward.' Towards integrated prevention Evidence suggests that community-level interventions such as school toothbrushing programmes, fluoride education and low-cost point-of-care diagnostics like aMMP-8 testing can reduce systemic inflammation and potentially lower cancer risk. A study in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology showed that professional periodontal treatment led to decreased levels of CRP and IL-6, both biomarkers associated with cancer progression. 'Oral health should no longer be siloed,' says Dr. John. Experts are urging the inclusion of oral health in national cancer control plans, school health programmes, and tobacco cessation curricula. Policy changes such as mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labels and bans on cartoon characters in junk food advertising are also being advocated to reduce early-life exposure to oral and systemic health risks. Community-based dental interventions, particularly for low-income communities, may help reduce the prevalence of periodontal disease and the systemic burden of oral pathogens. By reducing inflammatory markers and enhancing early detection, these efforts could play a role not only in improving oral hygiene but in reducing the broader burden of cancer and other non-communicable diseases.
The Print
2 days ago
- Health
- The Print
AIIMS researchers call for warning labels on alcohol like tobacco
The opinion piece by oncologists Dr Abhishek Shankar, Dr Vaibhav Sahni and Dr Deepak Saini from the Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, AIIMS, Delhi stated that adolescence forms a crucial period for the initiation and intensification of substance use behaviour, including alcohol. In an opinion piece titled 'Expanding behavioural interventions through cancer warning labels in India: from cigarette packs to alcohol bottles' published in Frontiers in Public Health on July 24, the doctors have highlighted that alcohol, like tobacco, is a proven carcinogen, yet awareness remains low. New Delhi, Jul 27 (PTI) Researchers at AIIMS have called for strong, evidence-based warning labels on alcohol products to prevent avoidable cancers, building on India's success with tobacco warnings. Behavioural interventions instituted by means of alcohol warning labels may prove to be effective in affecting positive changes in the consumption habits of individuals belonging to this age group, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), where it is all the more important for certain sections of society to be educated and sensitised towards the consequences of substance use, the researchers said. They stated that cancer cases in India have seen a steep rise, with data from the 2012 to 2022 period suggesting a 36 per cent increase in incidence (1.01 million-1.38 million). GLOBOCAN 2022 data saw about 1.41 million new cancer cases in India with a five-year prevalence at around 3.25 million and a total cancer mortality at 916,827. Alcohol attributable a fraction for cancer and age-standardised rate per 100,000 in India are 4.7 per cent and 4.8 per cent, respectively, according to the GLOBOCAN 2020 data. Data from 2016 suggested that 6.6 per cent of Disease Adjusted Life Years in India were attributable to alcohol consumption which followed that of tobacco at 10.9 per cent, the researchers said. The researchers also mentioned about the advisory brought out by the US surgeon general in January 2025 regarding the consumption of alcohol and the risk of cancer, which stated that alcohol consumption demonstrably elevates the risk for developing at a minimum, seven types of cancer (colon/rectum, liver, breast, esophagus, larynx, pharynx and oral cavity). The advisory also mentioned the mechanistic links between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing cancer along with the fact that this effect is observable regardless of gender. Even before the release of this advisory, alcohol-attributable cancers have been recognised to contribute significantly to the global burden of disease, the researchers said. Cancer warning labels on alcohol containers have been observed to be of benefit in reducing alcohol consumption and lowering the perception of consumption, they said. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in 2016-17 noted an increase by 16 per cent for health warnings on cigarette packs, with pictorial health warnings demonstrating a 50 per cent elevated impact on the intention to quit smoking cigarettes. Warnings can be differentiated based on the type of messaging involved into loss-framed and gain-framed which have an emphasis on associated risks/harms and the benefits of quitting, respectively, the researchers explained. There is evidence in literature to suggest that gain-framed messaging possesses an advantage over loss-framed warnings but the research on such aspects has mainly focused on loss-framed warnings in the case of cigarette smoking. It is also suggested that a combination of messaging can help inform behaviour change in a more effective manner which is based off the concept of the role individual beliefs play in determining outcomes, they said. India being an LMIC, this trend indicates the effect of cancer warning labels in modifying the behaviour of a significant number of people consuming such products, the researchers highlighted. 'The LMICs may look into expanding the positive experience gained from tobacco warning labels to those pertaining to alcohol containers, which clearly state a cancer risk from consumption. It may also be useful for these cancer labels to state that there is no lower threshold for alcohol-related cancer risk along with the types of cancers demonstrably attributable to alcohol consumption so far,' the doctors said. They pointed out that a crucial but often ignored aspect while considering warning labels is the multiplicative interaction of smoking and alcohol consumption in determining cancer risk. A National Cancer Institute (NCI) Workshop in December 2020 emphasised the importance of addressing the combined usage of tobacco and alcohol. Co-use of tobacco and alcohol has been found to be associated with a multiplicative effect in cancer risk, particularly for pharyngeal and oral sites. The importance of reciprocative warning labels on tobacco and alcohol product packaging is further underscored by the fact that alcohol usage has been observed to go up with an increase in cigarette smoking, with the former being associated with lower rates of quitting and higher relapse rates in smokers. It may also be worth considering to have helpful or constructive labelling on containers which guide the user to seek medical advice or undergo screening for cancer instead of being terminalistic in its messaging by suggesting graphic or fatal outcomes upon consumption, the researchers said. 'Since cancer as a disease may present as a result of the combined effect of alcohol and tobacco consumption, it makes sense to place such cancer warning labels and not address these risk factors in isolation,' they said. PTI PLB MNK MNK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
AIIMS researchers call for warning labels on alcohol like tobacco
New Delhi, Researchers at AIIMS have called for strong, evidence-based warning labels on alcohol products to prevent avoidable cancers, building on India's success with tobacco warnings. In an opinion piece titled "Expanding behavioural interventions through cancer warning labels in India: from cigarette packs to alcohol bottles" published in Frontiers in Public Health on July 24, the doctors have highlighted that alcohol, like tobacco, is a proven carcinogen, yet awareness remains low. The opinion piece by oncologists Dr Abhishek Shankar, Dr Vaibhav Sahni and Dr Deepak Saini from the Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, AIIMS, Delhi stated that adolescence forms a crucial period for the initiation and intensification of substance use behaviour, including alcohol. Behavioural interventions instituted by means of alcohol warning labels may prove to be effective in affecting positive changes in the consumption habits of individuals belonging to this age group, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), where it is all the more important for certain sections of society to be educated and sensitised towards the consequences of substance use, the researchers said. They stated that cancer cases in India have seen a steep rise, with data from the 2012 to 2022 period suggesting a 36 per cent increase in incidence (1.01 million- 1.38 million). GLOBOCAN 2022 data saw about 1.41 million new cancer cases in India with a five-year prevalence at around 3.25 million and a total cancer mortality at 916,827. Alcohol attributable a fraction for cancer and age-standardised rate per 100,000 in India are 4.7 per cent and 4.8 per cent, respectively, according to the GLOBOCAN 2020 data. Data from 2016 suggested that 6.6 per cent of Disease Adjusted Life Years in India were attributable to alcohol consumption which followed that of tobacco at 10.9 per cent, the researchers said. The researchers also mentioned about the advisory brought out by the US surgeon general in January 2025 regarding the consumption of alcohol and the risk of cancer, which stated that alcohol consumption demonstrably elevates the risk for developing at a minimum, seven types of cancer (colon/rectum, liver, breast, esophagus, larynx, pharynx and oral cavity). The advisory also mentioned the mechanistic links between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing cancer along with the fact that this effect is observable regardless of gender. Even before the release of this advisory, alcohol-attributable cancers have been recognised to contribute significantly to the global burden of disease, the researchers said. Cancer warning labels on alcohol containers have been observed to be of benefit in reducing alcohol consumption and lowering the perception of consumption, they said. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in 2016- 17 noted an increase by 16 per cent for health warnings on cigarette packs, with pictorial health warnings demonstrating a 50 per cent elevated impact on the intention to quit smoking cigarettes. Warnings can be differentiated based on the type of messaging involved into loss-framed and gain-framed which have an emphasis on associated risks/harms and the benefits of quitting, respectively, the researchers explained. There is evidence in literature to suggest that gain-framed messaging possesses an advantage over loss-framed warnings but the research on such aspects has mainly focused on loss-framed warnings in the case of cigarette smoking. It is also suggested that a combination of messaging can help inform behaviour change in a more effective manner which is based off the concept of the role individual beliefs play in determining outcomes, they said. India being an LMIC, this trend indicates the effect of cancer warning labels in modifying the behaviour of a significant number of people consuming such products, the researchers highlighted. "The LMICs may look into expanding the positive experience gained from tobacco warning labels to those pertaining to alcohol containers, which clearly state a cancer risk from consumption. It may also be useful for these cancer labels to state that there is no lower threshold for alcohol-related cancer risk along with the types of cancers demonstrably attributable to alcohol consumption so far," the doctors said. They pointed out that a crucial but often ignored aspect while considering warning labels is the multiplicative interaction of smoking and alcohol consumption in determining cancer risk. A National Cancer Institute (NCI) Workshop in December 2020 emphasised the importance of addressing the combined usage of tobacco and alcohol. Co-use of tobacco and alcohol has been found to be associated with a multiplicative effect in cancer risk, particularly for pharyngeal and oral sites. The importance of reciprocative warning labels on tobacco and alcohol product packaging is further underscored by the fact that alcohol usage has been observed to go up with an increase in cigarette smoking, with the former being associated with lower rates of quitting and higher relapse rates in smokers. It may also be worth considering to have helpful or constructive labelling on containers which guide the user to seek medical advice or undergo screening for cancer instead of being terminalistic in its messaging by suggesting graphic or fatal outcomes upon consumption, the researchers said. "Since cancer as a disease may present as a result of the combined effect of alcohol and tobacco consumption, it makes sense to place such cancer warning labels and not address these risk factors in isolation," they said. PTI
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
AIIMS researchers call for warning labels on alcohol, cite low awareness
Researchers at AIIMS have called for strong, evidence-based warning labels on alcohol products to prevent avoidable cancers, building on India's success with tobacco warnings. Behavioural interventions instituted by means of alcohol warning labels may prove to be effective in affecting positive changes in the consumption habits.(Pixaby/Representational Image) In an opinion piece titled "Expanding behavioural interventions through cancer warning labels in India: from cigarette packs to alcohol bottles" published in Frontiers in Public Health on July 24, the doctors have highlighted that alcohol, like tobacco, is a proven carcinogen, yet awareness remains low. The opinion piece by oncologists Dr Abhishek Shankar, Dr Vaibhav Sahni and Dr Deepak Saini from the Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, AIIMS, Delhi stated that adolescence forms a crucial period for the initiation and intensification of substance use behaviour, including alcohol. Behavioural interventions instituted by means of alcohol warning labels may prove to be effective in affecting positive changes in the consumption habits of individuals belonging to this age group, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), where it is all the more important for certain sections of society to be educated and sensitised towards the consequences of substance use, the researchers said. They stated that cancer cases in India have seen a steep rise, with data from the 2012 to 2022 period suggesting a 36 per cent increase in incidence (1.01 million-1.38 million). GLOBOCAN 2022 data saw about 1.41 million new cancer cases in India with a five-year prevalence at around 3.25 million and a total cancer mortality at 916,827. Alcohol attributable a fraction for cancer and age-standardised rate per 100,000 in India are 4.7 per cent and 4.8 per cent, respectively, according to the GLOBOCAN 2020 data. Data from 2016 suggested that 6.6 per cent of Disease Adjusted Life Years in India were attributable to alcohol consumption which followed that of tobacco at 10.9 per cent, the researchers said. The researchers also mentioned about the advisory brought out by the US surgeon general in January 2025 regarding the consumption of alcohol and the risk of cancer, which stated that alcohol consumption demonstrably elevates the risk for developing at a minimum, seven types of cancer (colon/rectum, liver, breast, esophagus, larynx, pharynx and oral cavity). The advisory also mentioned the mechanistic links between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing cancer along with the fact that this effect is observable regardless of gender. Even before the release of this advisory, alcohol-attributable cancers have been recognised to contribute significantly to the global burden of disease, the researchers said. Cancer warning labels on alcohol containers have been observed to be of benefit in reducing alcohol consumption and lowering the perception of consumption, they said. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in 2016-17 noted an increase by 16 per cent for health warnings on cigarette packs, with pictorial health warnings demonstrating a 50 per cent elevated impact on the intention to quit smoking cigarettes. Warnings can be differentiated based on the type of messaging involved into loss-framed and gain-framed which have an emphasis on associated risks/harms and the benefits of quitting, respectively, the researchers explained. There is evidence in literature to suggest that gain-framed messaging possesses an advantage over loss-framed warnings but the research on such aspects has mainly focused on loss-framed warnings in the case of cigarette smoking. It is also suggested that a combination of messaging can help inform behaviour change in a more effective manner which is based off the concept of the role individual beliefs play in determining outcomes, they said. India being an LMIC, this trend indicates the effect of cancer warning labels in modifying the behaviour of a significant number of people consuming such products, the researchers highlighted. "The LMICs may look into expanding the positive experience gained from tobacco warning labels to those pertaining to alcohol containers, which clearly state a cancer risk from consumption. It may also be useful for these cancer labels to state that there is no lower threshold for alcohol-related cancer risk along with the types of cancers demonstrably attributable to alcohol consumption so far," the doctors said. They pointed out that a crucial but often ignored aspect while considering warning labels is the multiplicative interaction of smoking and alcohol consumption in determining cancer risk. A National Cancer Institute (NCI) Workshop in December 2020 emphasised the importance of addressing the combined usage of tobacco and alcohol. Co-use of tobacco and alcohol has been found to be associated with a multiplicative effect in cancer risk, particularly for pharyngeal and oral sites. The importance of reciprocative warning labels on tobacco and alcohol product packaging is further underscored by the fact that alcohol usage has been observed to go up with an increase in cigarette smoking, with the former being associated with lower rates of quitting and higher relapse rates in smokers. It may also be worth considering to have helpful or constructive labelling on containers which guide the user to seek medical advice or undergo screening for cancer instead of being terminalistic in its messaging by suggesting graphic or fatal outcomes upon consumption, the researchers said. "Since cancer as a disease may present as a result of the combined effect of alcohol and tobacco consumption, it makes sense to place such cancer warning labels and not address these risk factors in isolation," they said.
