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A 44-year-old member asked:

How many years does it take to get oral cancer from chewing tobacco?

3 doctor answers6 doctors weighed in
Dr. Steven Ginsberg
Internal Medicine - Hematology & Oncology 39 years experience
Not sure: Cancer development generally requires a "latent' period to develop. How long that is, is different for different people and different cancers. Best to quit chewing tobacco, or to have never started.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Joseph Woods
Pathology 30 years experience
Usually decades.: Most patients present at over 50 years of age, but alcohol and tobacco use (also smokeless) are risk factors and therefore some especially prone, heavy users may get it sooner. It would be best to stop all tobacco use as soon as you can.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Gurmukh Singh
Pathology 51 years experience
Varies- Quit Tobacco: It usually takes years to decades, however, oral cancer has developed in teenagers using chewing tobacco. Quit the habit as it may take a short time in a suseptible individual. Other factors being hpv infection, immune status and genetic make-up of the person, .
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Similar questions

A 44-year-old member asked:

How many years does it take to develop cancer from snuff?

1 doctor answer2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Gurmukh Singh
Pathology 51 years experience
Variable: The time from the start of insult to development of cancer varies with the genetics of the person, type of insult, intensity of insult etc. The sooner you quit the better.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 41-year-old member asked:

How quickly can you get oral cancer from smokeless chewing tobacco?

2 doctor answers5 doctors weighed in
Dr. Gary Sandler
Dentistry 56 years experience
Who knows?: I doubt there are any scientific studies to answer that question. The more you use the any type of tobacco, the greater your risks. Why play with fire and expose yourself to unnecessary health risks? In the end it's not worth it. Besides, if you are the 1 in million (just an arbitrary figure and expression) who gets oral cancer, for you its 100%.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 30-year-old member asked:

How often do you have to chew tobacco in order to get oral cancer?

3 doctor answers12 doctors weighed in
Dr. Theodore Davantzis
Dentistry 42 years experience
No set amount: You can use it once and that is enough. There is no way to predict how your soft tissues will react to the carcinogens. In any event, every time you use it, it increases your chances. It's almost like playing the lottery, but in a very bad way... You don't want to be the winner of this prize. Quit while you're ahead.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old member asked:

How long does it take for chewing tobacco to cause oral cancer?

3 doctor answers7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Kathryn Wagner
General Surgery 33 years experience
Oral cancer/tobacco: No one knows for sure so quit chewing. The spitting part is yucky anyway.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 45-year-old member asked:

How long until you get oral cancer from chewing tobacco?

2 doctor answers4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Sandra Eleczko
A Verified Doctoranswered
Dentistry 38 years experience
Can't say: Can't give you a time. But now is. Good time to quit. See a dentist or oral surgeon for an oral cancer exam.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Last updated Jul 18, 2018
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