The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued a consensus document for the management of buccal mucosa cancers, according to a story on Pharmabiz.com.
Although several international consensus guidelines are available for the management of oral cavity cancers, none addresses buccal mucosa cancers in particular, according to ICMR officials. Formulating guidelines based on Western data is questionable given that buccal mucosa tumors are rare in the developed countries, they added.
The high incidence of carcinoma of the buccal mucosa in India is due to the extensive use of tobacco in various forms, Pharmabiz.com noted. The reported five-year survival rates for this cancer in India ranges from 80% for stage I disease to 5% to 15% for locally advanced disease.
