Periodontal disease associated with increased risk for sporadic colorectal cancer: Study

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second cause of death from cancer worldwide, with over 1,900,000 new cases and over 900,000 deaths in 2020 (Global Cancer Observatory-World Health Organization). While CRC can develop in inflammatory bowel diseases or hereditary syndromes, most CRC cases are sporadic.

Many factors are associated with sporadic CRC, including higher age, male sex, low socioeconomic status, diabetes mellitus, high adiposity, history of CRC in first-degree relatives, tobacco smoking, high consumption of red and processed meat, and heavy intake of alcohol.

On the other hand, physical activity and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) decrease the risk of CRC Colorectal cancer remains the top leading cancer worldwide. Accumulating evidence suggests periodontal pathogens are involved in colorectal carcinogenesis, indicating the need for high-quality epidemiological evidence linking periodontal disease (PD) and colorectal cancer (CRC).

Thus, a group of researchers conducted the first population-based case-control study that was specifically designed to investigate the association between compromised oral health and sporadic CRC. A total of 348 incident cases of colon or rectal cancer, and 310 age and sex frequency-matched controls, from the Montreal Island and Laval population, participated in the study. Data were collected on PD and on several CRC risk factors using validated questionnaires. A life-course approach was used to document long-term history regarding lifestyle factors. Multivariable unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the rate ratio (RR) quantifying the association between CRC and PD.

The results showed that the rate of Periodontal disease as a risk factor for sporadic colorectal cancer new diagnosis of CRC in persons with a positive history of PD was 1.45 times higher than in those with a negative history of PD adjusting for age, sex, BMI, education, income, diabetes, family history of CRC, regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, lifetime cumulative smoking, lifetime consumption of red meats, processed meats, and alcoholic drinks, and lifetime total physical activity score (adjusted RR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.04–2.01; p = 0.026).

Thus, the researchers concluded that their results support the hypothesis of an association between PD and sporadic CRC risk.

Reference:

Periodontal disease as a risk factor for sporadic colorectal cancer: results from COLDENT study by Amal Idrissi Janati, et al. published in the Cancer Causes & Control.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10552-021-01541-y