Background:
Consumption of tobacco is the leading cause of cancers in India and is responsible for about 40 to 50% of cancers in men and about 20% of cancers in women. This study was done to assess the proportion and anatomical sites of tobacco related cancers (TRCs) in India.

Methods:
The data related to TRCs from the 25 population based cancer registries (PBCRs) was reviewed and analysed. The incidence and relative proportion of specific sites of cancer associated with the use of tobacco was calculated.

Results:
Among all the PBCRs, East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya (69.3% among males, 43.0% among females) had the highest relative proportion of cancers associated with use of tobacco. The proportion was lowest in Sikkim state (31.4%) and Thiruvananthapuram (10.3%) for males and females respectively. Among various sites for TRCs, mouth (22.6% - 39.6%), lungs (24.7% - 48.9%) and oesophagus (19.9% - 45.1%) were the leading sites in ten, eight and seven registries respectively for males.
Among females, mouth cancer, oesophageal cancer and lung cancer were the leading sites among TRCs. Mouth cancer and lung cancer contributed to 48.2% of TRCs in Chennai whereas mouth cancer and oesophageal cancer contributed to 66.6% of TRCs in Nagaland. Lung cancer contributed to 67.9% and 72.8% of TRCs in Manipur and Mizoram states respectively. The proportion of TRCs shows an increasing trend in recent years as compared to last decade.

Conclusions:
The incidence and relative proportion of specific sites of TRCs varies according to the type of tobacco and the manner of its consumption, and need tailored approach to tackle this public health issue.