If you're looking for a good reason to avoid periodontal disease other than simply preventing bad breath, look no further. A study published in the January 17, 2007 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute indicates that researchers have found a link between periodontal disease and Pancreatic cancer.Although more than 30,000 Americans are likely to die from Pancreatic cancer this year, little is known about what causes the disease. Known risk factors include smoking, obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and insulin resistance. Now researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found that Periodontal disease may also be a risk factor for Pancreatic cancer.
"Our study provides the first strong evidence that periodontal disease may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. This finding is of significance as it may provide some new insights into the mechanism of this highly fatal disease," said lead author Dominique Michaud, assistant professor of epidemiology at HSPH.
Periodontal disease is caused by bacterial infection and inflammation of the gums that over time causes loss of bone that supports the teeth; tooth loss is a consequence of severe periodontal disease. Two previous studies had found a link between tooth loss or periodontitis and pancreatic cancer, but one consisted of all smokers and the other did not control for smoking in the analysis, and therefore no firm conclusions could be drawn from these studies.
Data for the new study came from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which began in 1986 and includes 51,529 U.S. men working in the health professions. Participants respond to questionnaires about their health every two years. After analyzing the data, the researchers confirmed 216 cases of pancreatic cancer between 1986 and 2002; of those, 67 reported periodontal disease.
The results showed that, after adjusting for age, smoking, diabetes, body mass index and a number of other factors, men with periodontal disease had a 63% higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to those reporting no periodontal disease. "Most convincing was our finding that never-smokers had a two-fold increase in risk of pancreatic cancer," said Michaud.
One possible explanation for the results is that inflammation from periodontal disease may promote cancer of the pancreas. "Individuals with periodontal disease have elevated serum biomarkers of systemic inflammation, such as C-reactive protein, and these may somehow contribute to the promotion of cancer cells," she said.
Michaud points out another possible explanation, which is that periodontal disease could lead to increased pancreatic carcinogenesis because individuals with periodontal disease have higher levels of oral bacteria and higher levels of nitrosamines, which are carcinogens, in their oral cavity. Prior studies have shown that nitrosamines and gastric acidity may play a role in pancreatic cancer.
Michaud, senior author Charles Fuchs, a gastrointestinal oncologist at Dana-Farber, and their colleagues believe that further studies should be done to investigate the role of inflammation from periodontal disease in pancreatic cancer. However, Michaud notes that the underlying mechanisms for this association are speculative at this point. "More research is needed both to confirm this finding in other populations and also to explore the role of inflammation in this particular cancer," she said.
In light of the Pancreatic cancer research as well as research showing that periodontal disease may put you at greater risk for other systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, periodontal disease is definitely something you'll want to avoid at all costs.
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I thought I'd pass along this noteworthy event in the world of oral hygiene. The following is from the American Dental Association (Click on the Helpful Resource link to visit their web site):Give Kids A Smile® (GKAS) is a national initiative by the American Dental Association to focus attention on the epidemic of untreated oral disease among disadvantaged children. Held each February, GKAS provides free oral health education, screening and treatment services to children from low-income families across the country. In 2007, nearly 51,000 dental professionals and volunteers will provide free educational, preventive and restorative dental services to children from low income families at 2,137 locations across the country.
Give Kids A Smile events would not be possible without the dental professionals who volunteer their time and service as well as the generous support of the following corporate sponsors:
- Colgate-Palmolive Company will supply 275,000 toothbrushes and sample sized tubes of toothpaste for children at Give Kids A Smile events;
- DEXIS® Digital X-ray will provide one DEXIS Digital X-ray System to each of the 56 U.S. dental schools participating in Give Kids A Smile, as well as support staff to assist in the taking of X-rays;
- Sullivan-Schein will provide 2,500 professional dental product kits containing items such as gloves, masks, patient bibs, prophy paste, floss, fluoride gel/fluoride foam/fluoride varnish and fluoride trays. Each kit contains enough items to serve 50 children.
These companies should be congratulated for such a great contribution. Please patronize them whenever possible.
Happy GKAS Day!
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