Correlation of specific addictions with cancer sites identified among patients in Northeast India.

Dietary habits are unique to geography and may exert crucial influence in the commencement of many diseases, including cancer. North-eastern region of India, exhibit unique food habits and are different from the rest of the country. This study investigates the association between dietary habits and site-specific cancer occurrence among patients registered with the North East Cancer Hospital and Research Institute (NECHRI) in 2022. A total of 511 cancer patients were initially accessed, of which 187 (81 female and 106 male patients) participated in the study by providing information about their dietary habits and addiction patterns to specific food beverages. The study employed multivariate linear regression analysis (MLRA) to correlate dietary habits with site-specific cancer incidence. One notable finding was the prevalence of raw betel nut consumption among female patients with cancers specific to female organs, such as cervical and ovarian cancers (21.4% for cervical cancer and 100% for ovarian cancer). Among the total cancer cases, 49.05% of male and 37.04% of female patients reported regular consumption of raw betel nut, indicating a potential association between betel nut consumption and cancer development. The MLRA also revealed a significant correlation between the regular consumption of smoked food and cancer incidence, affecting 31.13% of male and 25.93% of female patients with various types of cancer. Additionally, addiction to tobacco, smokeless tobacco, alcohol, and fermented alcohol showed a notable correlation with incidence of cancers in male, particularly in oral, esophageal, and alveolar. This is the first systematic study in north-east population of India to show the relationship between specific dietary habits and site-specific cancer occurrence among both male and female populations. The findings underscore the importance of right dietary habits and lifestyle modifications in cancer prevention strategies, particularly in regions where certain dietary habits are prevalent. Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these associations and to develop targeted prevention and intervention strategies.