By Dr. Joseph D. Lim
Gum ailment or periodontal disease may increase the risk of getting sick with cancer by half.
A new study was published July 20 in the journal Gut, suggests that gum disease may increase the risk of stomach cancer by 52 percent and throat cancer by 43 percent.
Compared to those who never lost a tooth, those who lose two or more teeth may also increase the risk of getting stomach cancer by 33 percent and throat cancer by 42 percent, according to the same study based on data from two major long-term health researches in the United States.
These long-term researches include over 98,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study and over 49,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
Researchers analyzed health data gathered from tens of thousands of health professionals during the two studies. At least 22 and up to 28 years of follow-up showed that participants developed 199 cases of throat cancer and 238 cases of stomach cancer.
They found that those with gum disease who lost no teeth had a 50 percent increased risk of stomach cancer. Those who lost one or more teeth had a 68 percent increased risk.
Whether they have lost teeth or never, those with gum disease had a 59 percent increased risk of throat cancer compared with people who’d never had gum disease, the study revealed.
The cancer risk related to gum disease was independent of tobacco use. Meaning, smokers with poor oral health might face an even higher risk of these gastrointestinal cancers, according to the study’s senior researcher Mingyang Song, an Assistant Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
“Participants with periodontal disease and a higher number of teeth lost had a higher risk of developing the two gastrointestinal cancers, even after adjusting for other major risk factors,” he said.
“If these findings pan out, then a great many people in the United States could be at increased risk for these cancers,” said US News & World Report carrying a story that first appeared in HealthDay. “Nearly half of adults aged 30 and older have gum disease,” it said, citing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One reason for the increased cancer risk may be the inflammation caused by gum disease. That is, people with periodontal disease tend to have higher systemic inflammation, one of the mechanisms of cancer development.
Bad oral health may also promote the growth of bacteria in the mouth and gums. These could cause cancer development. The longer the bad gums, the higher the cancer risk.
“The mouth, esophagus and stomach are all connected, of course, and they’re important components of the digestive system,” Dr. Peter Campbell, Scientific Director of Epidemiology Research for the American Cancer Society. “From this study, and others like it, it seems that some of the same bacteria and related pathogens that lead to tooth loss and gum disease are also associated with tumors in the stomach and esophagus.”
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim is the former Associate Dean of the UE College of Dentistry, former Dean of the College of Dentistry, National University, past president and honorary fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy, and honorary fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists. Honorary Life Member of Thai Association of Dental Implantology. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515./WDJ