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Khat and oral cancer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

Hissam E. Soufi
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Abha Branch, College of Medicine, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Mohan Kameswaran*
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Abha Branch, College of Medicine, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Tarek Malatani
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, King Saud University, Abha Branch, College of Medicine, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
*
Dr M. Kameswaran, Department of ENT, College of Medicine, Abha Branch, Abha, PO Box 641, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Oral cancers in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia have been observed to occurmostly among patients who have been long-term khat users. In a survey that reviewed cancers for the past two years there were 28 head and neck cancer patients, 10 of whom presented with a history of having chewed khat. One of these was a case of metastatic cervical lymph node and unknown primary, one was a parotid tumour, and the remaining eight presented with oral cancers. All were non-smoking khat chewers and all of them had used itover a period of 25 years or longer. We conclude that this strong correlation between khat chewing and oral cancer warrants attention.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1991

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