According to results from two recent studies, periodontal disease and tooth loss are associated with an increased risk of certain malignancies, including those involving the kidney, pancreas, oesophagus, head and neck, and lung. The reason for the associations are unclear, but could be due to the fact that periodontal disease is either a marker for a cancer-susceptible immune system or has a direct carcinogenic effect. The scientists speculate that bacterial infection and inflammation resulting from poor oral care that leads to tooth loss could also be driving development of these cancers.
In the first study, published in the 6th May online issue of The Lancet Oncology (10.1016/S1470-2045(08)70106-2), researchers from Imperial College, London and the Harvard School of Public Health analysed data from the HPFS (Health Professionals Follow-up Study), a survey of male health professionals in the US that was initiated in 1986. The subjects completed general questionnaires at baseline and then every two years, as well as dietary questionnaires every four years.
During a median follow-up period of 17.7 years, 5,720 incident cancer cases were documented among 48,375 participants. The most common malignancies were colorectal, melanoma, lung, bladder and advanced prostate. After accounting for smoking, diet and other known risk factors, a history of periodontal disease was linked to an increased risk of cancer, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.14. In terms of specific malignancies, the HRs were 1.36 for lung cancer (LC), 1.49 for kidney cancer, 1.54 for pancreatic cancer and 1.30 for haematologic cancers.
Among never-smokers, periodontal disease was linked to total and haematologic cancer, but not to LC. Thus, the overall link between periodontal disease and LC probably resulted from residual confounding due to smoking. According to the study authors, given the systemic effects of periodontal disease and the potential involvement of the immune system, as a marker of susceptibility or through changes in immune surveillance, further research on the role of periodontal disease in cancer, especially haematological cancers, is warranted.
In the other study, published in the May edition of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention (2008;17:1222-1227), researchers from Aichi Cancer Center in Nagoya and Nagoya University School of Medicine measured rates of 14 different cancers and rates of tooth loss in 5,240 cancer patients in Japan, and compared those rates among 10,480 matched cancer-free participants. The investigators specifically found that people with tooth loss were 136 per cent more likely to develop oesophageal cancer (OC), had a 68 per cent increased risk of developing H&N cancer and a 54 per cent greater chance of developing LC. The scientists also found that the rate of cancer increased proportionally to the number of teeth a patient had lost. These increased risks were seen after researchers took into account a patient’s history of smoking and alcohol use.
The researchers noted that age and gender affected the associations between tooth loss and cancer risk. For H&N and OCs, there were clear associations between tooth loss and cancer risk in women and patients younger than 70 years old, but a less clear link in men and older patients. The investigators commented that while widespread inflammation could explain the link between tooth loss and cancer risk, tooth loss in the cancer patients may simply reflect unhealthy behaviours that contribute to cancer risk. Furthermore, people who have lost teeth may not be able to eat a healthy diet, and diet is also a factor in cancer development.
Matthew Dennis - Editor, Cancer Drug News
In the first study, published in the 6th May online issue of The Lancet Oncology (10.1016/S1470-2045(08)70106-2), researchers from Imperial College, London and the Harvard School of Public Health analysed data from the HPFS (Health Professionals Follow-up Study), a survey of male health professionals in the US that was initiated in 1986. The subjects completed general questionnaires at baseline and then every two years, as well as dietary questionnaires every four years.
During a median follow-up period of 17.7 years, 5,720 incident cancer cases were documented among 48,375 participants. The most common malignancies were colorectal, melanoma, lung, bladder and advanced prostate. After accounting for smoking, diet and other known risk factors, a history of periodontal disease was linked to an increased risk of cancer, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.14. In terms of specific malignancies, the HRs were 1.36 for lung cancer (LC), 1.49 for kidney cancer, 1.54 for pancreatic cancer and 1.30 for haematologic cancers.
Among never-smokers, periodontal disease was linked to total and haematologic cancer, but not to LC. Thus, the overall link between periodontal disease and LC probably resulted from residual confounding due to smoking. According to the study authors, given the systemic effects of periodontal disease and the potential involvement of the immune system, as a marker of susceptibility or through changes in immune surveillance, further research on the role of periodontal disease in cancer, especially haematological cancers, is warranted.
In the other study, published in the May edition of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention (2008;17:1222-1227), researchers from Aichi Cancer Center in Nagoya and Nagoya University School of Medicine measured rates of 14 different cancers and rates of tooth loss in 5,240 cancer patients in Japan, and compared those rates among 10,480 matched cancer-free participants. The investigators specifically found that people with tooth loss were 136 per cent more likely to develop oesophageal cancer (OC), had a 68 per cent increased risk of developing H&N cancer and a 54 per cent greater chance of developing LC. The scientists also found that the rate of cancer increased proportionally to the number of teeth a patient had lost. These increased risks were seen after researchers took into account a patient’s history of smoking and alcohol use.
The researchers noted that age and gender affected the associations between tooth loss and cancer risk. For H&N and OCs, there were clear associations between tooth loss and cancer risk in women and patients younger than 70 years old, but a less clear link in men and older patients. The investigators commented that while widespread inflammation could explain the link between tooth loss and cancer risk, tooth loss in the cancer patients may simply reflect unhealthy behaviours that contribute to cancer risk. Furthermore, people who have lost teeth may not be able to eat a healthy diet, and diet is also a factor in cancer development.
Matthew Dennis - Editor, Cancer Drug News
1 comment:
Thanks for the update.There is no clue as to what causes cancer really though there are symptoms here and there from where we could pick up clues.
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