Research links gum disease to higher cancer risk

Tuesday, 21 July 2020 (Health Day News)-Want to Avoid Cancer? Consider brushing and flossing more often.

why? People with bad gums may be at increased risk of developing certain types of cancer, new research suggests.

Data from two major long-term health studies suggest that a history of periodontal disease increases the risk of gastric cancer by 52% and the risk of pharyngeal cancer by 43%.

Researchers found that people who lost more than one tooth had a higher risk of cancer than those who never had them-33% for gastric cancer and 42% for throat cancer.

“Participants with a high number of periodontal diseases and lost teeth, even after adjusting for other major risk factors, were at increased risk of developing two gastrointestinal cancers,” said senior researcher Min Yang Song. It was He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard TH Chan Public Health School in Boston.

If these findings are successful, the vast majority of people in the United States may be at increased risk of these cancers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of adults over the age of 30 have periodontal disease.

In the study, researchers analyzed health data collected from tens of thousands of health professionals during two long-term studies-more than 98,000 women in a nurse health study and 49,000 in a health professional follow-up study. Includes more than one man.

During a 22-28 year follow-up, participants developed 199 throat and 238 gastric cancers.

Overall, people with a history of periodontal disease were found to have a 59% increased risk of throat cancer, regardless of whether they lost their teeth, compared to those who never had periodontal disease. Did.

Looking at the gastric cancer, there were some differences. People with periodontal disease who lost teeth had a 50% increased risk of gastric cancer, while those who lost one or more teeth had an increased risk of 68%.

Peter Campbell is the Scientific Director of Epidemiology Research at the American Cancer Society. “Of course, the mouth, esophagus, and stomach are all connected, and they’re key elements of the digestive system. It’s amazing that markers of disease in one organ are connected to another, such as cancer. Not further down [gastrointestinal] Road. “

Gum’s inflammation may be one of the factors that increase the risk of cancer, says Son.

“People with periodontal disease tend to have higher systemic inflammation, which is one of the underlying mechanisms of cancer development,” he explained.

Son and Campbell pointed out that poor oral health can cause bacterial growth in the gums and gums in the mouth, which can lead to cancer.

“From this and other studies, some of the same bacteria and related pathogens leading to tooth loss and periodontal disease appear to be associated with gastric and esophageal tumors,” Campbell said.

The cancer risk associated with gingival disease in this study was independent of tobacco use. This means that smokers with poor oral health may be at an even higher risk of these gastrointestinal cancers.

As Song and Campbell suggested, poor gums are more likely to be at risk for cancer.

“Certainly, the longer the duration of periodontal disease, the higher the risk of these cancers,” Campbell said. “Some of that link may be explained by simply aging, which is a powerful risk factor in its own right, but we tend to explain the problem pretty well.”

If you have a bad history of gums and want to reduce the risk of potential cancer, Campbell regularly visits a dentist to manage your oral health, learn the signs and symptoms of cancer, and treat all age-appropriate patients. We recommend that you undergo a cancer screening.

Both Son and Campbell called for further research into this potential cancer risk, including clinical trials.

New study published in the journal on July 20 Intestine..

For more information

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Oral hygiene..