Advanced Gum Disease Linked to Increased Head and Neck Cancers

In that a substantial body of evidence supports an association between chronic inflammations and/or infections with cancers, Mine Tezal, from The State University of New York, Buffalo (USA), and colleagues assessed the effect of advanced gum disease (chronic periodontitis) on the prevalence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).  The study subjects consisted of 266 cases and 207 control participants, all ages 21 or over; the study period was 6 years. To determine the extent of chronic periodontitis, the researchers measured alveolar bone loss (ABL) in each subject. They found that each millimeter of ABL was associated with a 4-fold increased risk of HNSCC (adjusted for confounding factors).  The link between gum disease and cancer was strongest among people with cancers of the mouth, followed by cancers of the oropharynx and larynx.   The team comments that: “ This study suggests that chronic periodontitis is an independent risk factor for HNSCC. These results have implications for practical and safe strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of [head and neck cancers].”