Periodontal Diseases May Raise Risk of Some Cancers

Researchers from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston suggest patients with periodontal diseases may be at greater risk of developing cancer than the general population. Using data on nearly 150,000 subjects from the Nurses’ Health Study (1992–2014) and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1988–2016), the team’s long-term follow-up shows that participants developed 199 cases of esophageal cancer and 238 cases of gastric cancer. A history of periodontal diseases was associated with a 43% and 52% increased risk of esophageal cancer and gastric cancer, respectively. This risk was also higher among people who had previously lost teeth.

From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. October 2020;18(9):11.