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An oral leukoplakia register was established among 50,000 villagers in five districts of India in 1967-68. The paper describes the results after a 5-year follow-up study among 30,000 subjects from three of the districts with regard to spontaneous regression of leukoplakias. The follow-up rate for the three districts varied from 66.6 % to 794 %. The corresponding rates for individuals with leukoplakias varied from 67.6 % to 759 %. The regression, comprising a total or partial disappearance, varied from 26.1 % to 437 % in the three districts. The upper labial mucosa, the left commissure and left buccal mucosa were the sites of maximum regression. In Ernakulam, leukoplakias appeared to regress more often among chewers than among smokers. Although 23.2 % of the patients with regressed leukoplakias had changed their chewing or smoking habits, none had stopped either chewing or smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]