Oral Bacteria May Be Linked to Increased Cancer Risk

Oral Bacteria May Be Linked to Increased Cancer Risk

Researchers have discovered that the presence of certain oral bacteria may indicate an increased risk for pancreatic cancer. Such testing may enable early and precise treatment of the disease—which, according to the American Cancer Society, is responsible for more than 40,000 deaths in the United States each year. Research conducted at the New York University Langone Medical Center and the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center shows the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans are closely related to pancreatic cancer. This research was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting on April 19 in New Orleans.  

The researchers looked for links between bacteria known to cause oral disease and bacteria found in patients with pancreatic cancer. They found that individuals—regardless of gender—who had P. gingivalis in their oral microbiomes were at a 59% greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer than those without the oral bacteria. Individuals whose oral microbiomes included A. actinomycetemcomitans were 50% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those without the bacteria. Both P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans, the researchers noted, are closely tied to periodontal diseases. Such knowledge may aid in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Hygiene Connection E-Newsletter

May 2016