Micronucleus investigation in buccal mucosal cells among pan masala/gutkha chewers and its relevance for oral cancer

Micronuclei (MN) have been proposed as good biomarker to assess cytogenetic damage in biomonitoring studies.The analysis of MN in the epithelial cells has been shown to be a sensitive method for monitoring genetic damage inhuman populations. MN formation has been observed in pre-cancerous lesions of the oral cavity of pan masala andgutkha chewers. Increased cytogenetic damage has been observed in peripheral blood lymphocytes and exfoliatedbuccal mucosal cells of pan masala chewers. MN frequency obtained in case of pan masala/ gutkha chewers is veryhigh as compared to control, which clearly indicates that chewers are at high risk for developing oral cancer.