New Research: How Gum Disease Can Lead To Cancer

I’ve written before about the link of oral health and systemic diseases. But, is oral health even more important than we thought? New research from Finland has pointed to a strong link between gum disease and the development of some cancers. And even worse, it has been linked to the risk of cancer-related death.

Periodontitis, or gum disease, is characterized by the inflammation of the tissue surrounding the base of the teeth, or the gums. As the disease advances, periodontitis can lead to the deterioration of the gums and even begin to attack the bone that holds teeth in place.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 47.2 percent of adults who are over 30 years of age in the United States have some type of periodontitis. With age, this rate increases, so that 70.1 percent of U.S. adults over 65 years old have this disease.

As if living with the symptoms of periodontitis wasn't difficult enough, researchers from the University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, both in Finland, in collaboration with colleagues from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, have shown that the bacteria to blame for this disease might also be able to cause certain types of cancer — specifically pancreatic cancer.

In November 2017, Timo Sorsa — at the University of Helsinki — and team published a study in the British Journal of Cancer showing that Treponema denticola, which is the bacterium that causes periodontitis, may also be responsible for the development of some types of cancer.

They noted that Treponema denticola and some gastrointestinal cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, share an enzyme: Treponema denticola chymotrypsin-like proteinase (Td-CTLP). This enzyme, which was identified in certain cancerous tumors, is typically found in the mouth and acts as the main "boosting" agent in the development of gum disease.

Next, the researchers investigated what biological mechanisms were involved that might explain the link between the bacteria responsible for periodontitis and the development of cancer tumors elsewhere in the body. They found that Td-CTLP can activate other enzymes — pro-MMP-8 and pro-MMP-9 — that cancer cells use as a vehicle to invade previously healthy cells.

"In addition," the authors write, "our in vitro experiments provide evidence that Td-CTLP shows immunomodulatory activity that can have a crucial role in promoting and regulating carcinogenesis." Translation: The same enzyme that is responsible for gum disease is also a central player in the development of cancer.

Additionally, Sorsa and another team of researchers conducted a related study, this time investigating the link between the incidence of gum disease and the rates of cancer-related death. The new research — published last week in the International Journal of Cancer — discovered a positive association between the two.

For the purpose of this study, Sorsa and colleagues analyzed data sourced from 68,273 adults over a period of 10 years. What they found was a strong association between a gum disease diagnosis and death caused by pancreatic cancer.

Looking at the two studies, the team concludes that the inflammation characteristic of gum disease may make it easier for harmful bacteria to travel to other parts of the body, allowing their virulence factors — such as CTLP — to act as a "booster" for cancer cells.

"These studies have demonstrated for the first time that the virulence factors of the central pathogenic bacteria underlying gum disease are able to spread from the mouth to other parts of the body, most likely in conjunction with the bacteria, and take part in central mechanisms of tissue destruction related to cancer." Timo Sorsa

For these reasons, we encourage people to pay more attention to their oral health, since prevention of oral diseases may also mean prevention of more serious health outcomes such as cancer.

In the long run, not only is your oral health beneficial to your speaking, eating, and appearance, it is an extremely cost-effective way to prevent catastrophic disease.

To find out more from Dr. Basil, you can click here to make an appointment at our West Hartford Center dental office, or our Downtown New Britain dental office, or call us at 860-561-2121 to schedule a free consultation.

Keep smiling,  

Dr.Elzbieta W. Basil, DMD is a private practice dentist with offices in West Hartford Center and Downtown New Britain, Connecticut.  She is a Clinical Instructor at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, and has won several awards naming her regional “Best Dentist” and “Top Dentist.” She is an active member of the Connecticut State Dental Association and the American Dental Association. Tel: 860-561-2121