Harvard Study Suggests Periodontal Disease May Increase Cancer Risk

Researchers from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggest patients with periodontal disease may be at greater risk of developing cancer than the general population. Using data on nearly 150,000 subjects from the Nurses’ Health Study (1992–2014) and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1988–2016), the team’s long-term follow-up shows that participants developed 199 cases of esophageal cancer and 238 cases of gastric cancer. A history of periodontal disease was associated with a 43% and 52% increased risk of esophageal cancer and gastric cancer, respectively.

From Decisions in Dentistry. December 2020;6(11): 7.