A Study on Proportion of Oral Premalignant Lesions and Its Associated Risk Factors Among Adult Population Attending Cancer Screening Outpatient Department atTertiary Care Cancer Centre in Western Region, India

Introduction: Oral cancer is the third most common cancer type in India. In recent years, studies on the cancer focuses on early detection and timely intervention in Oral premalignant conditions because it plays a pivotal role for cancer prevention and improved patient outcomes. Objectives: To conduct opportunistic screening for suspected oral lesions among individuals attending Cancer screening OPD and to determine the proportion of oral precancerous lesions and their associated risk factors. Materials and Methods: A Hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted among 501 individuals aged ≥18 years attending Cancer Screening OPD at GCRI, Ahmedabad. All participants underwent visual inspection of the oral cavity. A pre-tested questionnaire was administered to collect socio-demographic details, behavioural risk factors, and symptoms related to oral cancer. Results: The proportion of Oral Premalignant Lesion (OPML) in study population was 30.5%. Significant association was observed with older age group (OR=1.67, 95% CI 1.07-2.6), Males (OR=13.1, 95% CI 4.74-36.63) and illiterates (OR=3.32, 95% CI 2.23-4.9). Tobacco consumption (χ2=345.6, p<0.001) and poor oral hygiene (χ2=210.4, p<0.001) showed strong associations with OPML. On binary logistic regression, males were 20 times likely to show OPML compared to females (AOR= 20.42, 95% CI 7.15-58.3) and Illiterates were 4 times likely to affected by OPML compared to literates (AOR= 4.15, 95% CI 2.67-6.42). Conclusion: A high burden of OPML was detected through opportunistic screening, particularly among tobacco users and socio-demographically vulnerable groups. Strengthening community-level screening and risk reduction strategies is essential for early diagnosis and prevention of malignant transformation.