Cancer: The ‘common’ mouth problem increasing the risk of the deadly disease by 50%

Stomach cancer: Surgeon explains the symptoms

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Britain’s cancer survival rates have long lagged behind those of other leading countries, such as Norway, Canada and Australia. But fears are growing that these figures may soon plummet, as cancers are picked up in the later stages when they are harder to treat. One sign in the mouth, which is believed to affect 90 percent of adults in the UK, should be addressed early to avoid the deadly disease.

According to researchers at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health, people who have a history of gum disease, also have a higher risk of stomach and oesophageal cancer.

Drawing on two large studies, the researchers found that people who had gum disease had a 43 percent higher risk of developing oesophageal cancer, and a 52 percent higher chance of developing stomach cancer.

The researchers examined the association of periodontal disease with the risk of two cancers in nearly 150,000 people from two separate studies.

Dental measures, demographics, lifestyles and diets were assessed through a set of questionnaires.

READ MORE: BBC newsreader George Alagiah’s cancer spreads forcing him to step back from TV work

After reviewing medical records, the team found there were 199 cases of oesophageal cancer and 238 cases of gastric cancer during the study’s follow-up period.

Among those with a history of gum disease, losing one or more teeth was associated with a 59 percent increased risk of oesophageal cancer, compared to those with no history of the disease.

Researchers hypothesised that exposure to oral bacteria and the substances deriving from those bacteria might be responsible for the increased risk.

The researchers concluded: “Together, these data support the importance of oral microbiome in oesophageal and gastric cancer.

“Further prospective studies that directly assess oral microbiome are warranted to identify specific oral bacteria responsible for this relationship.

The additional findings may serve as readily accessible, non-invasive biomarkers and help identify individuals at high risk for these cancers.

The study adds to a line of evidence indicating that the bacteria behind periodontitis is associated with the risk of disease.

The study, however, was purely observational, so no causal effect could be determined.

It suggests that doctors could include an inspection of oral health when assessing a patient’s risk of cancer in the future.

Gum disease, or periodontitis, is a severe infection of the gum characterised by painful symptoms that can make it hard to speak, in extreme cases.

The progressive condition, which usually starts at gingivitis, usually advances to more serious stages if left untreated.

The NHS explained: “Gum disease is a very common condition where the gums become swollen, sore or infected.

“Most adults in the UK have gum disease to some degree, and most people experience it at least once. It’s much less common in children.”

Researchers recently warned that survival rates of cancer could soon begin receding as hundreds of thousands of patients failed to get diagnosed during the pandemic.

The alarming figures have fanned concerns among patient groups and doctors that the majority of cases may be picked up too late, when the cancer is already in the advanced stages.

Experts have responded to the alarming figures by ramping up efforts to characterise the early stages of the disease.

The NHS has outlined the ‘red flag’ symptoms of cancer in a bid to encourage Britons to take up NHS screening services.

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