Risk Factors of Oral Cancer in the Rural Population of India, Irrespective of Age, Gender, and Socioeconomic Status – A Scoping Review

Abstract The cancer of the mouth and back of throat is referred to as oral cancer or mouth neoplasms. Oral cancer is the biggest public health issue found globally. Due to India’s diverse population and its association with smokeless form of tobacco addiction which is irrespective of culture, ethnicity, or geography due to which oral cancer is one of the most common health outcomes found. Premalignant lesions and oral cancer have the common causes related to numerous exposures. Smokeless form of tobacco use, alcohol use, and even spicy food consumption are all significantly seen in the Indian population. There is enough information in the literature to conclude that there are number of factors which influence the risk of oral cancer. It was found that scoping review was the best way to address this broad research question. The scoping review was undertaken in accordance with Arksey O’Malley’s five steps, and Levac and colleagues,’ and the Joanna Briggs Institute’s (JBIs) suggestions for improvement were also included (JBI method). This scoping review comprised publications that were found through a systematic search of articles from multiple sources, including PubMed and Google Scholar, hand searching of important journals, and investigation of the many databases linked to risk factors of oral cancer. The results of the scoping revealed the various risk factors related with oral cancer in the Indian population. After reviewing the articles, many factors such as smokeless and smoke form and even lifestyle were found to be related with the disease.