Effect of methylxanthines (coffee/tea consumers) on oral precancer and oral cancer patients with smoking and smokeless tobacco habits.

Aim: To study, whether the consumption of regular tea/coffee (methylxanthines) increases the risk of oral cancer in patients with smoking and smokeless tobacco habits.

Materials And Methods: This study was conducted on a total of 90 oral cancer and precancerous patients, from western Maharashtra (India) males in the age group of 20 to 45 years who were with smoking and smokeless tobacco habits; also regular tea/coffee consumers were subjected to biochemical parameters such as aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) from saliva and serum of patients with oral precancer (submucous fibrosis, leukoplakia) and oral cancer patients and compared with 90-age and sex-matched controls. Individuals consent was taken to measure their biochemical parameters, by using Hafkenscheid method in whole saliva and serum.