Poor Diet Quality Linked to Oral Cancer

Large prospective cohort data showed stronger associations among women without substantial tobacco or alcohol exposure.

Category	Detail
Condition	Oral Cavity Cancer
Key Mechanisms	Association with dietary patterns, particularly Prudent and Alternative Healthy Eating Index–2010.
Target Population	Women, particularly nonsmokers or light smokers and nondrinkers or light drinkers.
Care Setting	Prospective cohort study across three US cohorts.

Lower adherence to healthy dietary patterns linked to higher oral cavity cancer risk in women.
Women in lowest dietary adherence quartiles had 1.86 to 2.17 times the likelihood of oral cavity cancer.
No significant associations found among men.
Increased risk of nontongue oral cavity cancers noted with lower adherence to dietary patterns.

Consider residual confounding factors such as oral hygiene and tobacco/alcohol exposure.

Women without cancer at baseline, particularly nonsmokers/light smokers and nondrinkers/light drinkers.

Dietary quality may play a role in oral carcinogenesis.

Clinical Scorecard: Poor Diet Quality Linked to Oral Cancer