Abstract

A STUDY ON ASSOCIATION OF SMOKING AND GASTRIC CARCINOMA IN THE RESIDENTS OF WEST BENGAL

The aim of the study is to know the association of tobacco intake in the form of smoking and chewing with gastric carcinoma in West Bengal. Materials and methods: Total 28860 patients (smokers and tobacco chewer 17240, nonsmokers 11620) were interrogated before performing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Among the smokers and tobacco chewers, isolated bidi and cigarette smokers were 5067, 9323 and 2850 respectively. Among 542 gastric cancer cases, smokers were 301 (165 cigarette and 136 bidi smokers) and tobacco chewers 82 respectively. Then comparisons were done: 1. to know the incidence of smokers and nonsmokers in total number of patients, the influence of bidi and cigarette smoking on gastric carcinoma, 3] Effects of the early starters and number of cigarettes/bidi per day on gastric carcinogenesis. Again, comparisons were done to know influence of bidi and cigarettes on the sites of gastric carcinoma. Results: Bidi smokers, earlier starters of smoking and significantly (P<0.0001) suffered from gastric carcinoma. Heavy drinkers were mostly affected (P<0.0001). Conclusions: Bidi smokers, young heavy smokers were mostly affected. So there were strong associations between bidi smoking and gastric carcinoma in the residents of West Bengal.

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