J Clin Med Res

Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, ISSN 1918-3003 print, 1918-3011 online, Open Access

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Review

Volume 17, Number 7, July 2025, pages 357-364

Association of ABO and Rhesus Blood Groups With Oral Cancers

**Table 1.** Epidemiological Evidence Linking ABO and Rhesus (Rh) Blood Groups to Oral Cancers
Authors, year, country	Study design	Disease	Patients/controls	Main results
Panchbhai et al, 2024 [49], India	Cross-sectional	Oral squamous carcinomas (OSCC)	35 patients	Blood type A was the most prevalent in patients diagnosed with OSCCs. The Rh factor was universally positive among all patients.
Pokala et al, 2024 [60], India	Case-control	Oral cancer, and oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD)	120/120	Compared to individuals of other blood groups, individuals with blood type B showed a 1.24 times higher risk of acquiring oral precancerous and cancerous lesions.
Qudrath et al, 2023, Bangladesh [50]	Cohort study	Oral cancer	110 patients	Most patients belonged to blood type A (45%), then type B (23%), type O (20%), and type AB (12%). There was no observed correlation between the Rh factor and oral cancer.
Pal et al, 2023, India [39]	Cohort study	Oral cancer	600 patients	Individuals with blood type A positive (A+) demonstrated a significantly higher predisposition to developing oral cancer.
Mahalakshmi et al, 2022, India [61]	Cross-sectional	OPMD	55 patients	Individuals with blood type B positive (B+) were 1.46 times more likely to develop OPMD.
Ramamoorthy et al, 2022, India [47]	Cross-sectional	Oral cancer	Not reported	Although a higher proportion of oral cancer patients belonged to blood type B (46%), the association did not reach statistical significance.
Rezvaninejad et al, 2021, Iran [51]	Case-control	Oral cancer	64/60	Compared to the control group, the blood group A in patients with oral cancer was significantly higher in patients. There was no significant difference in Rh frequency between patients and the control group.
Ashwinirani et al, 2021, India [29]	Cross-sectional	Oral cancer	63 patients	Blood group A constituted 50% of cases. There was no significant relationship between the Rh factor and oral cancer.
Singh et al, 2021, India [28]	Meta-analysis case-control	Oral cancer OPMD	2,056/26,388	Blood group A demonstrated significant associations with both oral cancer and OPMD (P = 0.04). Blood group O showed a significant protective effect against oral cancer.
Verma et al, 2021, India [52]	cross-sectional	Oral cancer	73 patients	Individuals with blood type A positive (A+) showed a 3.22-fold higher risk of developing OSCC compared to those with other blood types.
Gaurav et al, 2021, India [53]	Case-control	Oral cancer OPMD	100/100	There was a significant correlation between the blood group A and both OPMD and oral cancer groups.
Shishodia et al, 2019, India [54]	Case-control	Oral cancer OPMD	105/7027	Blood group A was significantly associated with increased susceptibility to OSCC. However, there was no significant relationship between ABO blood group and OPMD.
Gupta et al, 2019, India [66]	Case-control	Oral cancer	76/90	Blood group AB showed a significantly higher frequency, while blood group O had a significantly lower frequency patients compared to controls.
Singh et al, 2019, India [55]	Case-control	Oral cancer	27/250	There was a significant correlation between blood group A and oral cancer compared to other blood groups.
Jalili et al, 2018, Iran [67]	Case-control	OSCC	133/2,000	Blood group AB showed a significantly higher frequency in patients with OSCC compared to healthy controls, while blood group O showed the lowest frequency in OSCC patients.
Poornima et al, 2018, India [62]	Case-control	OPMDs OSCC	70/30	Blood group B showed a significantly higher frequency in both OPMDs and OSCC than control group, with no significant difference observed in Rh factor.
Anjum et al, 2017, India [56]	Cohort study	OPMDs	50 patients	Cases with blood group A positive (36%) were more associated with the development of OPMDs, followed by those with blood group B positive (28%).
Mehrotra et al, 2017, India [63]	Cross-sectional	Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF)	50/50	Individuals with blood group B had a 1.32-fold higher tendency to develop OSMF than other groups.
Ramesh et al, 2017, India [64]	Case-control	Oral cancer	100/50	Individuals with blood group B positive were found to be at an increased risk of developing OSCC compared to people with other blood groups.
Kumari et al, 2017, India [57]	Case-control	Oral cancer	300/800	Individuals with blood group A showed a 1.51-fold higher risk of developing oral cancers when compared to those with other blood groups.
Saxena et al, 2016, India [58]	Cross-sectional	Oral cancer	171 patients	Blood group A had a 6.54-fold higher association with oral cancer compared to blood group O, B and AB.
Reddy et al, 2016, India [10]	Cross-sectional	OSMF	164/180	There was no significant correlation between OSMF and ABO blood group.
Zhang et al, 2016, China [68]	Case-control	Oral cancer	3,832/24,912	Individuals with type O blood had a significantly lower proportion of oral cancer than that of controls.
Nikam et al, 2015, India [65]	Case-control	OSMF	50/50	Individuals with blood group B had higher risk of developing OSMF compared to other groups. There was no correlation between the Rh factor and OSMF.
Rai et al, 2015, India [69]	Cross-sectional	OPMDs	45/45	There was no statistically significant correlation between ABO blood groups and OPMDs.
Trupti et al, 2015, India [59]	Case-control	OSCC OSMF	60/30	Blood group A conferred an approximately 60-70% increased risk of developing OSCC compared to people with other blood groups. Individuals with blood group A were at 3.98 times greater risk of developing OSMF.

Table 1. Epidemiological Evidence Linking ABO and Rhesus (Rh) Blood Groups to Oral Cancers

Authors, year, country

Study design

Disease

Patients/controls

Main results

Panchbhai et al, 2024 [49], India

Cross-sectional

Oral squamous carcinomas (OSCC)

35 patients

Blood type A was the most prevalent in patients diagnosed with OSCCs. The Rh factor was universally positive among all patients.

Pokala et al, 2024 [60], India

Case-control

Oral cancer, and oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD)

120/120

Compared to individuals of other blood groups, individuals with blood type B showed a 1.24 times higher risk of acquiring oral precancerous and cancerous lesions.

Qudrath et al, 2023, Bangladesh [50]

Cohort study

Oral cancer

110 patients

Most patients belonged to blood type A (45%), then type B (23%), type O (20%), and type AB (12%). There was no observed correlation between the Rh factor and oral cancer.

Pal et al, 2023, India [39]

Cohort study

Oral cancer

600 patients

Individuals with blood type A positive (A+) demonstrated a significantly higher predisposition to developing oral cancer.

Mahalakshmi et al, 2022, India [61]

Cross-sectional

OPMD

55 patients

Individuals with blood type B positive (B+) were 1.46 times more likely to develop OPMD.

Ramamoorthy et al, 2022, India [47]

Cross-sectional

Oral cancer

Not reported

Although a higher proportion of oral cancer patients belonged to blood type B (46%), the association did not reach statistical significance.

Rezvaninejad et al, 2021, Iran [51]

Case-control

Oral cancer

64/60

Compared to the control group, the blood group A in patients with oral cancer was significantly higher in patients. There was no significant difference in Rh frequency between patients and the control group.

Ashwinirani et al, 2021, India [29]

Cross-sectional

Oral cancer

63 patients

Blood group A constituted 50% of cases. There was no significant relationship between the Rh factor and oral cancer.

Singh et al, 2021, India [28]

Meta-analysis case-control

Oral cancer OPMD

2,056/26,388

Blood group A demonstrated significant associations with both oral cancer and OPMD (P = 0.04). Blood group O showed a significant protective effect against oral cancer.

Verma et al, 2021, India [52]

cross-sectional

Oral cancer

73 patients

Individuals with blood type A positive (A+) showed a 3.22-fold higher risk of developing OSCC compared to those with other blood types.

Gaurav et al, 2021, India [53]

Case-control

Oral cancer OPMD

100/100

There was a significant correlation between the blood group A and both OPMD and oral cancer groups.

Shishodia et al, 2019, India [54]

Case-control

Oral cancer OPMD

105/7027

Blood group A was significantly associated with increased susceptibility to OSCC. However, there was no significant relationship between ABO blood group and OPMD.

Gupta et al, 2019, India [66]

Case-control

Oral cancer

76/90

Blood group AB showed a significantly higher frequency, while blood group O had a significantly lower frequency patients compared to controls.

Singh et al, 2019, India [55]

Case-control

Oral cancer

27/250

There was a significant correlation between blood group A and oral cancer compared to other blood groups.

Jalili et al, 2018, Iran [67]

Case-control

OSCC

133/2,000

Blood group AB showed a significantly higher frequency in patients with OSCC compared to healthy controls, while blood group O showed the lowest frequency in OSCC patients.

Poornima et al, 2018, India [62]

Case-control

OPMDs OSCC

70/30

Blood group B showed a significantly higher frequency in both OPMDs and OSCC than control group, with no significant difference observed in Rh factor.

Anjum et al, 2017, India [56]

Cohort study

OPMDs

50 patients

Cases with blood group A positive (36%) were more associated with the development of OPMDs, followed by those with blood group B positive (28%).

Mehrotra et al, 2017, India [63]

Cross-sectional

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF)

50/50

Individuals with blood group B had a 1.32-fold higher tendency to develop OSMF than other groups.

Ramesh et al, 2017, India [64]

Case-control

Oral cancer

100/50

Individuals with blood group B positive were found to be at an increased risk of developing OSCC compared to people with other blood groups.

Kumari et al, 2017, India [57]

Case-control

Oral cancer

300/800

Individuals with blood group A showed a 1.51-fold higher risk of developing oral cancers when compared to those with other blood groups.

Saxena et al, 2016, India [58]

Cross-sectional

Oral cancer

171 patients

Blood group A had a 6.54-fold higher association with oral cancer compared to blood group O, B and AB.

Reddy et al, 2016, India [10]

Cross-sectional

OSMF

164/180

There was no significant correlation between OSMF and ABO blood group.

Zhang et al, 2016, China [68]

Case-control

Oral cancer

3,832/24,912

Individuals with type O blood had a significantly lower proportion of oral cancer than that of controls.

Nikam et al, 2015, India [65]

Case-control

OSMF

50/50

Individuals with blood group B had higher risk of developing OSMF compared to other groups. There was no correlation between the Rh factor and OSMF.

Rai et al, 2015, India [69]

Cross-sectional

OPMDs

45/45

There was no statistically significant correlation between ABO blood groups and OPMDs.

Trupti et al, 2015, India [59]

Case-control

OSCC OSMF

60/30

Blood group A conferred an approximately 60-70% increased risk of developing OSCC compared to people with other blood groups. Individuals with blood group A were at 3.98 times greater risk of developing OSMF.