Researchers link chronic gum infection to cancer

Periodontal disease is associated with a risk of several types of cancer in postmenopausal women, say US researchers. This pathology which evolves over several years can indeed promote inflammation in several organs.

It is a new risk factor for cancer that have just been discovered by American researchers, which does not concern diet or physical inactivity but the health of the mouth. Their study explains that periodontal disease is associated with an increased risk of several types of cancer in postmenopausal women, even those who have never smoked.

As explained by the UFSBD *, it is a disease of infectious origin that affects and destroys the tissues supporting teeth (gums and bones) over several decades. The stagnation of bacteria in the dental plaque is the cause of an inflammatory reaction on the gums and the bone inducing as they are destroyed. “This pathology begins to settle often at the age of 30, with a very slow evolution initially,” she said.

This study is the first to find an association between periodontal disease and the risk of several types of cancer in women. “Our study was sufficiently extensive and detailed to examine not only the general cancer risk in elderly women with periodontal disease, but also to provide useful information on a number of cancer-specific sites, Jean Wactawski-Wende, lead author of the study.

Increased risk of esophageal cancer

In recent years, several studies have shown that periodontal disease is a risk factor for some cancers, including breast cancer , oral and esophageal cancers. But very few studies have analyzed the general risk for all types of cancer. This new study included 65,869 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative, a national study to investigate risk factors that affect the risk of death in older American women.

As part of a health follow-up questionnaire, participants were asked if a dentist had recently diagnosed gum disease. During an average follow-up of 8.32 years, the researchers identified 7,149 cases of cancer. The researchers found that women who reported gum disease had an overall cancer risk of 14%.

The strongest association was for one of the most fatal cancers of the esophagus, which was three times more likely in women with periodontal disease than women who did not. “The esophagus is in close proximity to the oral cavity. Periodontal pathogens can more easily access the esophageal mucosa, infect it and promote the risk of cancer,” said Wactawski-Wende.

Bacteria circulate in the blood

The researchers also noted that some cancers, such as breast cancer, lung cancer and gall bladder cancer, were associated with a higher risk for women who smoked and had periodontal disease. Others, such as melanoma , were associated with a higher risk in non-smokers who reported periodontal disease.

“Certain periodontal bacteria have promoted inflammation , even in small amounts, and these bacteria have been isolated in many organs. It is important to establish the precise risks of this disease, so that preventive measures are promoted. “The researchers add. The latter insist that if postmenopausal women are more likely to be affected by the adverse effects of periodontal disease, it is because of their age.

It takes several years for pathogenic bacteria to cause inflammation that promotes cancer. If the mechanisms that link periodontal disease and cancer are not fully understood, the most likely explanation is that these bad bacteria reach other bodily sites with blood flow via saliva or plaque. It is not the first time that the dangers of this disease, and more generally of the dental infections , are evoked.

Several studies show that this mechanism can also be the cause of other serious diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease or pneumonia. Oral health is therefore linked to overall health, hence the importance of a regular visit to the dentist. In the case of periodontal disease, this condition can be stabilized if the patient has a thorough hygiene of the mouth on a daily basis, but it can not be cured.

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