Is Gum Disease Linked to Cancer? Case Study Evidence

Research into the connections between periodontal diseases and general illnesses has predominantly focused on conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

However, in recent years, critical epidemiological studies have identified a link between periodontal disease and the risk of developing cancer.

No causality was proven in the early studies, whereby it was posited that periodontal disease left untreated could cause certain types of cancer in the body. Nevertheless, the occurrence of periodontal disease and cancer risk is worth investigating and continues to be an important research topic.

Periodontal disease and cancer: evidence roundup

Three of the most recent and significant studies that looked into this topic have yielded more answers and identified areas where further research is required.

Periodontitis and cancer risk: A nationwide population-based cohort study

This study was conducted in an attempt to control for confounding factors such as comorbidity and lifestyle behaviors. It explored the potential association between chronic periodontitis and cancer risk by conducting a retrospective cohort study using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Cohort Database. Included were 713,201 individuals without a history of cancer who were followed up to 10 years. 

Key findings

• 2.2 times higher cumulative incidence of cancer in the periodontitis group than in the control group.
• The periodontitis group had an increased risk of total cancer compared to the control group after adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, BMI, and smoking history.
• Significant associations were observed between periodontitis and specific cancers of the stomach, colon, lung, bladder, and thyroid, as well as leukemia.

Significance of the study 

• This study takes into account comorbidities and lifestyle factors to ensure clear indicators of causation between periodontal disease and cancer.
• The National Health Insurance database offers a representative cross-section of the population, reducing the risk of population bias

Conclusion

The presence of periodontal disease was found to be linked to a higher risk of cancer, even after accounting for potential confounding factors. However, additional prospective studies are needed to establish a definitive cause-and-effect relationship.

Periodontal disease assessed using clinical dental measurements and cancer risk in the ARIC study

The association of periodontal disease severity with cancer risk was evaluated prospectively in older adults in a cohort study with 7,466 participants that included a comprehensive dental examination.

Key findings

• 24% increase in the risk of developing cancer among participants with severe periodontitis (compared to those with mild to no periodontitis at baseline).
• Among patients who had no teeth (which can be a sign of severe periodontitis), the increase in risk was 28 percent.
• The highest risk was observed in cases of lung cancer, followed by colorectal cancer.
  

Significance of the study 

• This study used data from dental examinations and not self-reported periodontitis as previous studies have done, making the evidence more accurate. 
• This study provides additional evidence that cancer risk, especially for lung and colorectal cancer, is elevated in individuals with periodontitis.

Conclusion

Further studies are needed to determine whether periodontal disease prevention and treatment could help alleviate the incidence of cancer and reduce the number of deaths due to certain types of cancer.

Periodontal disease and incident cancer risk among postmenopausal women: Results from the Women's Health Initiative observational cohort

In a prospective cohort study comprising 65,869 women (aged between 54 and 86 years), periodontal disease information was obtained via self-report questionnaires administered between 1999 and 2003. Physician-adjudicated incident total cancers were the main outcomes and site-specific cancers were secondary outcomes.

Key findings

• Periodontal disease increases the risk of total cancer among older women, irrespective of smoking.
• Certain anatomic sites appear to be vulnerable to cancer in this group.

Significance of the study

Few studies have examined periodontal disease as a risk factor for total cancer, and none have focused on older women.

Conclusion

These findings support the need for further understanding of the effect of periodontal disease on cancer outcomes.

Thanks to studies such as these, future research will continue to discover further evidence of the connection between cancer and periodontal disease.