Gum disease may lead to head and neck cancer
September
22,
2009
The health hazards caused by chronic periodontitis (gum disease)
extend way beyond the mouth. For years people have been warned that
persistent periodontitis can cause heart disease. Now a new study
suggests that gum disease may also be a risk factor for cancers of the
head and neck. The study conducted by Dr. Mine Tezal, from The State
University of New York, Buffalo, and colleagues included 266 patients
with cancers of the head or neck treated between 1999 and 2005, and 207
control subjects.
Periodontitis was determined by alveolar bone loss seen on x-ray/
Alveolar bone is the ridge of bone that surrounds the roots of the
teeth, holding them in place. Loss of this bone is typically seen with
severe periodontal disease. With each millimeter of alveolar bone loss,
the risk of head and neck cancer increased more than 4-fold, the report
indicates. The link was seen even in subjects who had never smoked or
used alcohol. The study is published in the September 2009 issue of the
journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention.