Raw Areca Nut Betel Quid Consumption and Esophageal Cancer

Oncotarget

Betel quid chewing, a traditional custom widely practiced in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Asia-Pacific region, and East Africa for centuries, involves the consumption of raw areca nut mixed with slaked lime and wrapped in a betel leaf. This habit is particularly popular in certain regions, including Northeast India, where the areca nut is raw, wet, and consumed unprocessed. The act of chewing and swallowing this mixture leads to the release of alkaloids, polyphenols, and tannins. However, the consumption of raw areca nut betel quid has been strongly associated with the development of oral, esophageal, and gastric cancers, and has adverse consequences on oral health. Several studies have shown a significant relationship between periodontitis and betel quid chewing habits in many countries, including India. In this context, esophageal cancer is a devastating disease that affects millions of people around the world. Recent research has shed light on the role of the Mad2 gene in the development and progression of esophageal cancer, a disease strongly associated with the consumption of raw areca nut betel quid. In a new study, researchers Chongtham Sovachandra Singh, Nabamita Boruah, Atanu Banerjee, Sillarine Kurkalang, Pooja Swargiary, Hughbert Dakhar, and Anupam Chatterjee from The Assam Royal Global University, University of Pennsylvania, LN Mithila University, University of Chicago Medicine, Nazareth Hospital, Laitumkhrah, and North-Eastern Hill University provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying Mad2 gene deregulation in esophageal cancer. On February 5, 2024, their new research paper was published in Oncotarget’s Volume 15, entitled, “Differential expression of Mad2 gene is consequential to the patterns of histone H3 post-translational modifications in its promoter region in human esophageal cancer samples.” Full blog - https://www.oncotarget.org/2024/02/22/raw-areca-nut-betel-quid-consumption-and-esophageal-cancer/ Paper DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28554 Correspondence to - Anupam Chatterjee - [e-mail], [e-mail] Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28554 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, Mad2 gene, histone methylation, histone acetylation, Rb-phosphorylation; esophageal cancer About Oncotarget Oncotarget (a primarily oncology-focused, peer-reviewed, open access journal) aims to maximize research impact through insightful peer-review; eliminate borders between specialties by linking different fields of oncology, cancer research and biomedical sciences; and foster application of basic and clinical science. To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh Media Contact [e-mail] 18009220957