Sneha Shah
St Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, USA
Title: Betel nut chewing in the Greater New York/New Jersey area: Any consequence?
Biography
Biography: Sneha Shah
Abstract
According to the NYU Center for the study of Asian American Health, the New York City Metropolitan area is home to the
largest concentration of South Asians in the United States. The chewing of “betel nut” and related products is common
to these immigrants from countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives among
others. Betel quid and its constituent areca nut are known risk factors for many oral and esophageal cancers. However, the
lack of awareness regarding adverse effects of the areca nut among its users, limited understanding of its cultural role among
healthcare providers and lack of global policy for control of the substance has resulted in what has been termed a global public
health emergency. Within a six-month period from October 2017 to March 2018, three cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma
among the South Asian immigrant population have been diagnosed at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, NJ and
treated using wide local excision and reconstructive flap surgery. In each case, the patient admitted to a history of ten or more
years of betel nut chewing. Considering these cases, the purpose of this article is to report on the incidence of oral squamous
cell carcinoma in the greater New York and New Jersey area secondary to betel nut use.