Gum disease linked to higher risk of cancer

Scientists have found that people who have gum disease also have an increased risk of getting cancer.

Patients who have a history of gum disease and dental problems may find that they could be 14 percent more likely to develop cancerous tumours.

In the past, research has found that sufferers of advanced gum disease are far more susceptible to serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Now the risk has become worse with cancer added to the list.

There is a possibility that an impaired immune system due to ill health could lead to worse dental heath, rather than gum disease being to blame.

The team at Imperial College in London, who discovered the link, could not make a distinction between gum disease being a cause or a symptom of cancer.

The health information manager at Cancer Research UK, Hazel Nunn, said: “This study doesn’t confirm whether it is gum disease or other factors that are causing this small increase in risk. Deprivation may play a role as people from deprived backgrounds are more likely to have both poor dental health and poor overall health.”

Source: The Telegraph