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For Those Interested in the Research of Dr. Weston A. Price |
Who knew?
Posted on 01/17/2007 11:58:20 AM PST by blam
Source: Harvard School of Public Health
Date: January 17, 2007
Link Found Between Periodontal Disease And Pancreatic Cancer
Science Daily — Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.; more than 30,000 Americans are expected to die from the disease this year. It is an extremely difficult cancer to treat and little is known about what causes it. One established risk factor in pancreatic cancer is cigarette smoking; other links have been made to obesity, diabetes type 2 and insulin resistance.
In a new study, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found that periodontal disease was associated with an increased risk of cancer of the pancreas. The study will appear in the January 17, 2007 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
"Our study provides the first strong evidence that periodontal disease may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. This finding is of significance as it may provide some new insights into the mechanism of this highly fatal disease," said lead author Dominique Michaud, assistant professor of epidemiology at HSPH.
Periodontal disease is caused by bacterial infection and inflammation of the gums that over time causes loss of bone that supports the teeth; tooth loss is a consequence of severe periodontal disease. Two previous studies had found a link between tooth loss or periodontitis and pancreatic cancer, but one consisted of all smokers and the other did not control for smoking in the analysis, and therefore no firm conclusions could be drawn from these studies.
Data for the new study came from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which began in 1986 and includes 51,529 U.S. men working in the health professions. Participants respond to questionnaires about their health every two years. After analyzing the data, the researchers confirmed 216 cases of pancreatic cancer between 1986 and 2002; of those, 67 reported periodontal disease.
The results showed that, after adjusting for age, smoking, diabetes, body mass index and a number of other factors, men with periodontal disease had a 63% higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to those reporting no periodontal disease. "Most convincing was our finding that never-smokers had a two-fold increase in risk of pancreatic cancer," said Michaud.
One possible explanation for the results is that inflammation from periodontal disease may promote cancer of the pancreas. "Individuals with periodontal disease have elevated serum biomarkers of systemic inflammation, such as C-reactive protein, and these may somehow contribute to the promotion of cancer cells," she said.
Another explanation, according to Michaud, is that periodontal disease could lead to increased pancreatic carcinogenesis because individuals with periodontal disease have higher levels of oral bacteria and higher levels of nitrosamines, which are carcinogens, in their oral cavity. Prior studies have shown that nitrosamines and gastric acidity may play a role in pancreatic cancer.
Michaud, senior author Charles Fuchs, a gastrointestinal oncologist at Dana-Farber, and their colleagues believe that further studies should be done to investigate the role of inflammation from periodontal disease in pancreatic cancer. However, Michaud notes that the underlying mechanisms for this association are speculative at this point. "More research is needed both to confirm this finding in other populations and also to explore the role of inflammation in this particular cancer," she said.
This study was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute.
Citation: "A Prospective Study of Periodontal Disease and Pancreatic Cancer in U.S. Male Health Professionals," Dominique S. Michaud, Kaumudi Joshipura, Edward Giovannucci, Charles S. Fuchs, JNCI, 2007; 99:1-5
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Harvard School of Public Health.
I've read that certain kinds of dental disease can cause heart disease.As if halitosis wasn't enough of a reason to take care of your teeth.
Interesting. My father had terrible trouble with his gums and eventually died of pancreatic cancer. The idea that the two troubles may have a connection is fascinating.
It seems as though research for many diseases is culminating in the idea of inflammation=disease.
I'm thinking the same thing. Inflamation from arthritic joints = high risk of heart attacks, etc.
"Most convincing was our finding that never-smokers had a two-fold increase in risk of pancreatic cancer," said Michaud. "
WOnder why that is ... ?
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For Those Interested in the Research of Dr. Weston A. Price |
Who knew?
Don't know. I read that a couple times myself.(?)
A quick search shows some think that smoking may not only mask symptoms of oral inflammation, but reduce them too; by vasoconstriction, reduction of the growth of periodontal bacteria because of reduced inflammation, or possibly by some as yet unknown inflammatory suppressing component of the smoke.
I've had three friends die of pancreatic cancer in two years. They all were thin, over-wrought, non smokers, obsessed with advancing their businesses.
Goodness gracious, that's got to be tough. I'm sorry for the loss of your friends.
The hard part was that they wouldn't do a thing to save themselves. It seems to be a standard attitude for cancer patients lately.
thanks for posting...
I couldn't believe it when I saw it on the news last night. I understand that proper dental health also prevents heart disease by curbing the stealth bacteria that affects the lining of arteries and heart valves.
:) My "Who knew?" was a tad sarcastic. Critics of Weston Price dismiss him out hand because he was a *dentist* and what could a dentist possibly know about health and nutrition? When he did his surveys in the 1930's, he used dental health as the primary indicator of overall health. I believe he was one of the first to propose a dental bacteria-heart health connection which was/is widely dismissed as quackery or simply ignored.
Oh, OK, i get it now.
my father once worked with a man who suffered many health problems including arthritis and walked hunched over. After he had his rotten teeth pulled, he straightened up and became very healthy.
Wow, that is interesting.
What I've never figured out is why I had terrible teeth as a young kid, and then hit puberty and have had only one small cavity since then. Most of the cavities were in my permanent teeth, but there were some in my baby teeth, too. I've always brushed my teeth twice a day with either Colgate or Crest. I skipped going to the dentist for five years after I got out of college, and when I finally went (terrified of what the dentist would find) the dentist couldn't believe I hadn't been in for five years. I didn't have a cavity or anything. My teeth LOOK like I floss, but I don't.
So why the change in my teeth? My health wasn't bad as a child, and it didn't improve once I hit puberty and my teeth improved, either. The only explanation I've ever gotten was from one dentist who said that the PH of your mouth sometimes changes around puberty, and it makes it less susceptible to the bacteria that cause plaque.
It's just confusing. If dental health is part of overall health, why did my teeth change but not my overall health? Plus, I'd like to know if this study controlled for a lot of socio-economic factors.
I couldn't say. Most things are multifactorial. But Price's book is a fascinating read if you haven't looked at it already.
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