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The Print
3 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
3 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
News18
4 days ago
- Health
- News18
AIIMS researchers call for warning labels on alcohol like tobacco
Last Updated: 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. 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 PLB MNK MNK (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 27, 2025, 17:15 IST News agency-feeds AIIMS researchers call for warning labels on alcohol like tobacco Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. 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Business Standard
18-07-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Good oral hygiene may lower cancer risk, suggests AIIMS-led research
Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, in a study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia, have found that poor oral hygiene is associated with a higher risk of developing various cancers, particularly those affecting the digestive tract, prostate, breast, pancreas, oropharynx, uterus, and lungs. The study analysed data from over 12,000 controls and 8000 head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. It was observed that there was a notable increase in cancer incidence among those with gum disease, tooth loss, or untreated dental issues. Study highlights Oral health is closely associated with several systemic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, adverse pregnancy outcomes and Alzheimer's disease - oncologists Dr Abhishek Shankar and Dr Vaibhav Sahni from AIIMS Delhi pointed out in the study. Radiotherapy (RT) to the head and neck changes the balance of bacteria in the mouth - good bacteria decrease, while harmful ones increase, leading to complications after treatment. Patients with severe gum disease who undergo intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), with or without chemotherapy, are at a higher risk of bone healing problems after treatment. The CHANCE study found that regular dental check-ups over 10 years were linked to a lower risk of dying from cancer. The benefit was greater for oral cancer patients, especially those who had more than 10 dental visits in the past decade. India's oral health crisis India faces a significant oral health burden. According to the Global Oral Health Status Report 2022, India faces some of the highest oral health burdens in the world: Tooth decay in permanent teeth: Affected over 36 crore (366.8 million) people in India - 18.1 per cent of the global total. Severe gum disease (periodontal disease): Found in 22 crore (221 million) people - about 20.3 per cent of worldwide cases. Tooth decay in milk teeth (deciduous teeth): Seen in 9.8 crore (98.2 million) cases - 18.9 per cent of the global burden. Total tooth loss (edentulism): Affected 3.5 crore (34.9 million) Indians - 9.9 per cent of global cases. Lip and oral cavity cancer: Diagnosed in 3.27 lakh (327,648) people in India - making up 23.4 per cent of global cases. AIIMS researchers emphasise that oral hygiene should be part of routine health check-ups, and urge policy-makers to integrate dental care into primary healthcare services. Experts call for better dental hygiene awareness Interventions proposed by the experts in the study include- Introduce supervised toothbrushing programmes in schools to encourage early hygiene habits in children. Use oral rinse-based point-of-care tests to quickly detect gum diseases in community or clinical settings. Include tobacco cessation education in school and college curricula to reduce early tobacco use. Distribute free toothbrushes and toothpaste, especially in low-income areas, to promote daily oral care habits. Raise awareness among teachers and families, and offer incentives to encourage focus on children's oral health. Implement nutrition and sugar warning labels on packaged foods to help people make healthier choices. Strictly ban indirect or 'proxy' advertisements of tobacco products. Stop the use of likable characters in ads promoting sugary snacks and drinks to children. The study is a wake-up call for Indians who often overlook oral health. Experts, through the study, urge everyone to prioritise dental hygiene not just for healthy teeth, but as a step towards preventing life-threatening illnesses like cancer.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Good oral health can reduce cancer risk, improve overall health: AIIMS Delhi study
New Delhi: Oral healthcare plays a significant role in enhancing health-related outcomes, including those associated with cancer, researchers from AIIMS Delhi said, underscoring the necessity of integrating oral care practices not only at the primary level but throughout all health management. Emerging evidences indicate that poor oral health is closely associated with several health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, adverse pregnancy outcomes and Alzheimer's disease, oncologists Dr Abhishek Shankar and Dr Vaibhav Sahni from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi said in an article published in The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia earlier this month. Oral hygiene has been implicated in cancer risk and its prediction, particularly in head and neck cancers (HNC). The current literature also suggests a link between periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, and cancers of the digestive tract, prostate, breast, pancreas, oropharynx, uterus, and lungs. The international head and neck cancer epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium, through a pooled analysis of 13 studies involving 12,527 controls and 8,925 HNC cases, reported that good oral hygiene (defined by annual dental visits, fewer missing teeth and daily tooth-brushing) was associated with a modest reduction in the risk of HNC, the researchers said. Presence of pathogenic oral bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia has been shown to elevate cancer incidence and adversely affect overall survival whether with specific-cancer or disease-free, they said. Oral health is crucial in the context of cancer therapy. A recent systematic review concluded that radiotherapy (RT) to the head and neck region significantly alters the oral microbiome, typically reducing beneficial bacteria while increasing potentially harmful species, leading to post RT complications, the research suggested. Patients with severe periodontal disease undergoing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), with or without chemotherapy, have shown higher susceptibility to post-treatment bone healing complications, the researchers said. These findings make it imperative to maintain optimal oral hygiene before, during and after RT, given its role in influencing survivorship outcomes, they added. Data from the CHANCE study revealed that routine dental visits over the past 10 years were associated with reduced cancer mortality, according to the research. Dr Shankar and Dr Sahni, however, pointed out that there is a dearth of original data from Southeast Asia reporting on the association between oral health and cancer, as most original studies tend to limit their scope to epidemiological findings. "It is abundantly clear that oral healthcare plays a significant role in enhancing health-related outcomes, including those related to cancer survivorship . This evidence underscores the necessity of integrating oral health practices not only at the primary care level but throughout all healthcare settings," the doctors said. Efforts should focus on innovating and implementing point-of-care diagnostics in oral health that are evidence-based, economical, validated, and offer sufficient sensitivity and specificity, they stressed. The researchers stated that the World Health Organisation (WHO) - South East Asia Region (SEAR) could benefit from public health initiatives to improve oral health. Researchers also pitched for supervised tooth-brushing programmes for children alongside sensitising teachers and families regarding the importance of oral health and providing free toothbrush and toothpaste to foster behavioural change. In England, supervised tooth-brushing programmes for children have proven to be an economical intervention, reducing health-related inequalities and tooth decay, they said. "Implementing a similar programme in India may provide comparable oral health benefits and, given its effectiveness in resource-constrained settings, is particularly encouraging," they said. Various operational challenges like the economic viability of families, leading to unintentional health neglect, low priority to oral health, inadequate incentives and motivation among teaching staff to ensure their effective involvement. Oral health has been shown to significantly influence cancer outcomes and survivorship; however, research in this domain could be more relevant if supported by data from the SEAR, the researchers stated. Public health interventions like labels of 'nutrition' and 'sugar warning' may assist consumers in making informed decisions. It is essential to enforce policies against proxy advertisements for tobacco products while also implementing measures to prohibit the use of likable characters promoting sugar-laden snacks and beverages to children, they said.
