ORAL-CANCER AND SMOKELESS TOBACCO - LITERATURE-REVIEW AND METAANALYSIS

The use of smokeless tobacco (SLT) is considered as a major risk factor for oral cancer. In this paper, a detailed review is provided on the major results of the available published analytic epidemiological studies on the hypothetical association between the risk of oral cancer and the use of SLT. Meta-analysis is then used to summarize the major findings of these studies. It is observed from our literature survey and meta-analysis that the quality and major findings of the studies reviewed are quite variable.