A recent study revealed that an individual’s risk of pancreatic cancer may be linked to microbes living in their mouths,
According to a study published in JAMA Oncology, individuals have a more than tripled risk of pancreatic cancer if their mouth consists of 27 kinds of bacteria and fungi, including some directly associated with gum disorders.
Co-senior author and a professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Dr. Richard Hayes, “It is clearer than ever that brushing and flossing your teeth may not only help prevent periodontal disease but may also protect against cancer.”
Pancreatic cancer is considered a “silent killer,” due to lack of screening methods, making it a highly lethal cancer, with only 13% rate.
Previous studies suggested that the bacteria travel via swallowed saliva into the pancreas, significantly increasing risk of cancer for people with poor oral health.
For the study, researchers assessed saliva samples from over 122,000 Americans in two cancer studies, and compared it with the samples from 445 pancreatic cancer patients to 445 cancer-free individuals.
Results indicated that 20 bacteria and four fungi are associated with higher cancer risk, including three tied to gum disease: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Eubacterium nodatum, and Parvimonas micra.
Overall, these microbes significantly increased the risk by 3.5 times.
However, the study failed to confirm cause and effect. Researchers stressed the need for further studies on oral viruses and how the mouth’s microbiome impacts cancer survival.