Two major studies have found that severe gingivitis can lead to one of the most deadly cancers.
Bacteria responsible for gingivitis, which can be killed by cleaning teeth, play a role in pancreatic cancer. Scientists say they have found the first evidence that bacteria can spread from the mouth to other parts of the body and cause tumors to appear.
The research provides hope for a "cheap" way to detect pancreatic cancer, known for its risk and low survival rates.
The results of the Finnish researchers add to the list of cancers associated with periodontal disease. As a group of research has indicated over the past years, repeatedly, there is a strong link between this avoidable situation and breast cancer.
Several other scientific experiments have shown that periodontal disease can increase the risk of lung, gall bladder and throat cancer, as well as skin cancer.
In the first study, researchers from the University of Helsinki used data from 70,000 adults to reach their current results, the first of its kind. They found a clear link between gingivitis and fatal cancer, with the largest incidence of pancreatic cancer.
The study, led by Professor Timo Sorsa, was published in the International Journal of Cancer.
It should be noted that gingivitis is the final stage of periodontal disease, which can be avoided early by good cleaning. It can also lead to tooth loss.
"For the first time, these studies have shown that bacteria causing gum disease can spread from the mouth to other parts of the body," Professor Sorsa said.
While another study has discovered bacteria that cause gingivitis, it is called "Treponema denticola" and can have an effect on the onset of cancer.
The researchers pointed to how an enzyme is allowed to multiply, found in malignant tumors within the digestive system. This enzyme has the ability to help cancer cells invade healthy tissues and spread throughout the body, becoming more deadly. These results were published in the British Journal of Cancer.
About 10,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in Britain, but this number is up to five times in the United States.
Doctors call the disease "wolf in sheep's clothing" because the symptoms (back pain, jaundice and weight loss) are often vague in the early stages. If early pancreatic cancer is detected and surgery is permitted, about a quarter of the infected live for 5 years, with a 9% chance of survival for a long time.
source:facebook/paje:doctors