Cancer News: Unhealthy Gums Linked to Pancreatic Cancer
Too tired to floss? Those puffy bleeding gums could increase your risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a new study published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cancer killer, striking about 34,000 people last year and causing more than 32,000 deaths.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston surveyed more than 50,000 male health professionals (about half of them dentists) to determine who had periodontal disease, then followed them for 16 years; 216 eventually developed pancreatic cancer. After controlling for known risk factors like smoking, alcohol intake, and body weight, the researchers found that those with gum disease were 64 percent more likely to develop the cancer than those with healthy gums; those who had lost teeth because of severe gum disease had 2.7 times the risk. "Since the cancer is so highly fatal, it's interesting to have a new risk factor to help us understand the disease better," says study leader Dominique Michaud, an assistant professor epidemiology at Harvard. The study needs to be replicated, she adds, before a definitive link is made. Also, it didn't include women, so there is no way of knowing if this finding applies to them.
Previous research has shown that gum disease leads to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, possibly because oral bacteria in the bloodstream trigger blockages in arteries. Other studies have shown links between gum disease and diabetes and preterm labor. These same bacteria might also trigger inflammation in the pancreas, suggests Michaud, setting the stage for malignant cells to grow.
"This study certainly adds to what we know about how important oral health is for general health," says Steven Offenbacher, director of the center for oral and systemic diseases at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, who has done research on periodontal disease and cardiovascular risk. "Fortunately, gum disease is preventable and treatable." To keep gums healthy, the American Dental Association recommends brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and seeing a dentist for regular checkups.
advertisement
