Could Brushing Your Teeth Prevent Pancreatic Cancer Risk?

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Most of us are aware that brushing twice-daily reduces our risk of decay and gum disease, but a new study has suggested that good oral hygiene can also lower the risk of pancreatic cancer.

A team of American researchers have linked harmful strains of bacteria, which are found in the mouth, to an elevated risk of pancreatic cancer. This form of aggressive cancer has the lowest survival rate of the 22 most common types of cancer. Around 9,000 cases are diagnosed in the UK each year and only 3 per cent of people survive for at least 5 years after diagnosis. Sadly, most cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage when treatment is unlikely to be successful. This is usually because people tend to dismiss the symptoms as effects of ailments, which are much less serious. Often, signs can mimic those of indigestion or fatigue.

Researchers in the USA have discovered that two strains of bacteria, which are commonly found in the mouth, can increase pancreatic cancer risk dramatically. In a study conducted by scientists at New York University, the team found that people with P.gingivalis bacterium had a 59 per cent higher chance of developing pancreatic cancer than those without the bacterium. Those with the A. actinomycetemcomitans strain of bacteria were found to have 119 per cent higher risk.

The team studied a group of 732 people over the course of a decade; half developed pancreatic cancer and the other half didn’t. Oral samples, which were taken at the beginning of the study and repeated, showed that people with the two strains of bacteria were more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those with negative samples. Both strains are known to cause advanced gum disease, also known as periodontal disease.

Dr Jiyoung Ahn, said that this is the first study to suggest that changes in microbes in the mouth can influence pancreatic cancer risk. While the bacteria may not be responsible for causing pancreatic cancer, it could represent a risk factor.

Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, said that the findings are very interesting and called for further research in this area. If further trials support the findings, a simple saliva test could be offered by dentists, which could have a major impact on the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer going forward.

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