Sugar and Oral Cancer: The Hidden Risk Beyond Tobacco - Dr Hitesh R Singhavi

Annually, we see about 1.5 lac new oral cancer cases arising every year, with more than 50% of these cases dying within the first year of diagnosis. The most common culprit of this menace is chewed/smoked tobacco or areca nut /alcohol, though this accounts for 85% of the oral cancer risk.

But what about the remaining 15% oral cancer cases? What’s causing oral cancer in those individuals who have no vices or any habits?

As a head and neck surgeon, I often hear such heart-wrenching questions from my patients, “Doctor, why am I suffering from cancer, as I have never touched tobacco/alcohol/areca or any vices?

What can be the cause? In such scenarios, I have no answers to such questions, but at the back of my mind, I know we still have many unanswered questions and require further research. Recently, I was reviewing new research and came across a study that can answer the question, “Why me?”

A large study conducted in the United States on 1.6 lakh women over the period of 30 years to find whether there is an association between the high sugary drink (soft drinks, packaged fruit juices and sugary iced teas) and oral cancer and the results were surprising.

Study found that women who consumed at least one sugary drink per day had nearly 5 times the risk in non-smokers, suggesting high sugar might be an independent risk factor for oral cancer.

But can sugar possibly cause oral cancer? It is hypothesised that a high sugar diet not only adds inches to the waistline but also increases the insulin levels in the body. High insulin levels lead to increased inflammation. Constant inflammation is one of the prime hallmarks of oral cancer.

Of course, the study had limitations, and it focused only on women, mostly of European descent, and the number of cancer cases was relatively small. Still, the findings are significant — especially for countries like India, where the consumption of sugary foods and drinks is skyrocketing due to urban lifestyles and changing diets.

What this means for us is simple: oral cancer is no longer only a smoker’s disease. You could be at risk even if you’ve never used tobacco — especially if your diet is high in sugar.

This is not a call to panic, but a call to awareness. While more research is needed to confirm this link in the Indian context, we must begin thinking beyond tobacco when it comes to cancer prevention. Doctors, policymakers, and the public should consider diet — especially sugar intake — as a part of oral cancer risk screening and prevention.

In a world where “sugar-free” is often seen as a fad, it’s time we took sugar seriously — not just for our waistlines, but for our lives. Cutting down on sugar could be the new “no smoking” — and just as lifesaving.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are of the author and not of Health Dialogues. The Editorial/Content team of Health Dialogues has not contributed to the writing/editing/packaging of this article.