Betel chewer's mucosa in elderly Cambodian women.

A total of 102 rural Cambodian women with a mean age of 60 +/- 8.5 years (range 39 to 80 years) who chewed betel quid were examined for oral mucosal lesions, in particular betel chewer's mucosa. The average duration of betel quid chewing was 15.5 +/- 12.8 years. The average number of daily betel quids was 5.4 +/- 2.9. Forty women (39.2%) used betel quids overnight. Thirty-eight (37.3%) did not show any oral mucosal lesion. Sixty-two (60.8%) showed betel chewer's mucosa. Homogeneous leukoplakia was found in three women (2.9%). Out of 130 sites affected by chewer's mucosa, the buccal mucosa was the most frequently involed (n = 68). In thirty-two subjects (31.4%) more than one location was affected. The presence of a lesion was significantly associated with the duration of the habit (P < 0.01) and the number of betel quids per day (P < 0.001). Betel chewing seems to be prevalent in elderly Cambodian women, while younger people do not seem to have taken up this habit. The risk for oral cancer in the Cambodian population is presently unknown.