Research has long shown that high levels of bacteria associated with gum disease can increase the likelihood of developing head and neck cancer as well as diabetes and high blood pressure.
But until now, experts haven’t known which specific bacteria lurking in our mouths could be linked to head and neck cancer.
American scientists have discovered more than a dozen types that they say together increase the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck by 50%.
Squamous cells are flat, skin-like cells that cover the lining of the mouth, nose, larynx, thyroid, and throat.
The researchers claim that their findings highlight the importance of good oral hygiene, which often includes brushing teeth twice a day, using dental floss and visiting the dentist regularly.
Study co-author and population health expert at New York University, Professor Richard Hayes, said: “Our findings provide another reason to maintain good oral hygiene habits. “Brushing and flossing may not only help prevent gum disease, but may also protect against head and neck cancer.”
“Our findings provide new insight into the relationship between the oral microbiome and head and neck cancers,” added the study’s lead author Sooyoung Kwak, a postdoctoral fellow in population health at New York University. “These bacteria may serve as biomarkers for experts to identify people at high risk.”
In the study, experts reviewed data from three ongoing studies that followed 159,840 Americans to understand how different factors, such as diet and lifestyle, affect the development of cancerous tumors.
After recording, participants were asked to clean their mouths with mouthwash and submit saliva samples for testing to determine the amount and types of microbes in their mouths.
Over the course of the 15-year follow-up, 236 participants were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Their oral microbial DNA was compared to 458 participants who remained cancer-free.
Factors that may change the results, smoking history, age and alcohol consumption, were also taken into account.
The researchers found that 13 types of hundreds of different bacteria routinely found in the mouth may increase or decrease the risk of cancer. This group was associated with a 30% increased risk of developing the disease.
Combined with five other types often seen in gum disease, the overall risk increased by 50%.
However, they added that the study does not prove a direct link between bacteria and cancer. Instead, it defines a relationship.
“Now that we have identified the key bacteria that may contribute to this disease, we next plan to explore the mechanisms that allow them to do so and in what ways we can best intervene,” said study co-author and associate director of population research at the Perlmutter Cancer Center.
Source: Daily Mail
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2024-09-28 19:12:10
