Gum Disease Bacteria Linked to Esophageal Cancer?

A new article in Medical News Today warns that gum disease bacteria may be linked to esophageal cancer.

That could be interesting news for our patients here in Broward County and the surrounding areas.

Researchers, from the University of Louisville and Henan University of Science and Technology in China, found that the common gum disease causing bacteria — called Porphyromonas Gingivalis or P. Gingivalis — was present in 61% of cancerous tissues (collected from people who had esophageal cancer).

Per the article…

The team found P. gingivalis was present in 61% of cancerous tissue samples and only 12% of adjacent tissue samples. They found none in the normal tissue samples.

Co-senior author Huizhi Wang, assistant professor of oral immunology and infectious diseases at the UofL School of Dentistry, says:

“These findings provide the first direct evidence that infection could be a novel risk factor for ESCC, and may also serve as a prognostic biomarker for this type of cancer.”

He notes that if these findings are confirmed, then it could mean that eradication of a common oral bacterium could help reduce the significant number of people who develop ESCC.

ESCC stands for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, is one of two esophageal cancers. It tends to quickly develop once diagnosed as it usually well advanced at that point.

Per the researchers, helping to eradicated the bacteria in your mouth that’s also present in esophageal cancer tissue could lead to a decrease of this type of cancer.

Learn more here at Cancer.org/

Concerned about the health of your teeth? Let’s chat.

If you have questions for a periodontist – please contact our offices. We’d be happy to talk more with you!

Deerfield Beach office: (954) 427-5700