[Results of examining the population in a region with high morbidity for oral mucosal cancer: precancerous changes]. / Rezul'taty obsledovaniia naseleniia v regione s vysokoi zabolevaemost'iu rakom slizistoi obolochki rta: predrakovye izmeneniia.

Interviewing and examination of a population characterized by a high level of morbidity of oral cavity cancer, supposedly induced by the use of nas, established a high incidence of leukoplakia and preleukoplakia at this site which are identified as precancerous lesions. The highest relative risk of oral cavity leukoplakia was found in persons who both chew nas and smoke tobacco (12.4). Relative risk of leukoplakia is also elevated in those who either chew nas (5.6) or smoke cigarettes (7.7). This risk increases in step with the quantity of nas consumed per day as well as the number of cigarettes. The scrapings obtained from the oral cavity mucosa of nas chewers and cigarette smokers were shown to contain relatively higher levels of micronuclear cells. The results of this and previous investigations suggest that tests for the frequency of micronuclear cell occurrence may prove instrumental in identifying the early signs of carcinogenesis as well as in evaluating the efficacy of prophylactic measures.