AMARAVATI — Public health experts and senior oncologists have revealed that approximately 60% of all recorded cancer cases in Andhra Pradesh are directly tied to tobacco consumption.
The alarming data, shared on the eve of World No Tobacco Day, highlights a critical healthcare crisis driven primarily by the high prevalence of smokeless tobacco products, such as gutka and chewing tobacco, across both rural and urban areas.
Medical registries in the state indicate that oral, head, and neck cancers form the bulk of these tobacco-related diagnoses.
Doctors note that while lung cancer remains a significant threat for smokers, the widespread habit of chewing nicotine products has exponentially escalated oral submucous fibrosis and advanced malignancies.
A substantial number of patients are presenting with aggressive forms of the disease at younger ages, signaling an earlier onset of addiction among the youth.