Poor oral health may increase liver cancer risk
Poor oral health is associated with a 75 per cent increased risk of the most common form of liver cancer, new research has found.
The study analysed a large cohort of over 469,000 people in the UK, investigated the association between oral health conditions and the risk of a number of gastrointestinal cancers, including liver, colon, rectum and pancreatic cancer.
Whilst no significant associations were observed on the risk of the majority gastrointestinal cancers and poor oral health, a substantial link was found for hepatobiliary cancer.
“Poor oral health has been associated with the risk of several chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes,” explained the lead author of the study.
“However, there is inconsistent evidence on the association between poor oral health and specific types of gastrointestinal cancers, which is what our research aimed to examine,” continued the Dr.
Of the 469,628 participants, 4,069 developed gastrointestinal cancer during the (average) six-year follow up. In 13per cent of these cases, patients reported poor oral health.
Participants with poor oral health were more likely to be younger, female, living in deprived socioeconomic areas and consumed less than two portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
The biological mechanisms by which poor oral health may be more strongly associated with liver cancer, rather than other digestive cancers, is currently uncertain.
One explanation is the potential role of the oral and gut microbiome in disease development.
“The liver contributes to the elimination of bacteria from the human body. When the liver is affected by diseases, such as hepatitis, cirrhosis or cancer, its function will decline and bacteria will survive for longer and therefore have the potential to cause more harm. One bacteria, Fusobacterium nucleatum, originates in the oral cavity but its role in liver cancer is unclear. Further studies investigating the microbiome and liver cancer are therefore warranted,” stated the Dr.
Another theory in explaining the higher cancer risk due to poor oral health suggested that participants with a high number of missing teeth may alter their diet, consuming softer and potentially less nutritious foods, which in turn influence the risk of liver cancer.
The study analysed a large cohort of over 469,000 people in the UK, investigated the association between oral health conditions and the risk of a number of gastrointestinal cancers, including liver, colon, rectum and pancreatic cancer.
Whilst no significant associations were observed on the risk of the majority gastrointestinal cancers and poor oral health, a substantial link was found for hepatobiliary cancer.
“Poor oral health has been associated with the risk of several chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes,” explained the lead author of the study.
“However, there is inconsistent evidence on the association between poor oral health and specific types of gastrointestinal cancers, which is what our research aimed to examine,” continued the Dr.
Of the 469,628 participants, 4,069 developed gastrointestinal cancer during the (average) six-year follow up. In 13per cent of these cases, patients reported poor oral health.
Participants with poor oral health were more likely to be younger, female, living in deprived socioeconomic areas and consumed less than two portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
The biological mechanisms by which poor oral health may be more strongly associated with liver cancer, rather than other digestive cancers, is currently uncertain.
One explanation is the potential role of the oral and gut microbiome in disease development.
“The liver contributes to the elimination of bacteria from the human body. When the liver is affected by diseases, such as hepatitis, cirrhosis or cancer, its function will decline and bacteria will survive for longer and therefore have the potential to cause more harm. One bacteria, Fusobacterium nucleatum, originates in the oral cavity but its role in liver cancer is unclear. Further studies investigating the microbiome and liver cancer are therefore warranted,” stated the Dr.
Another theory in explaining the higher cancer risk due to poor oral health suggested that participants with a high number of missing teeth may alter their diet, consuming softer and potentially less nutritious foods, which in turn influence the risk of liver cancer.