Increased risk of fatal pancreatic cancer-the effects of untreated gum disease
Pancreatic Cancer | 2 minutes to read

Increased risk of fatal pancreatic cancer-the effects of untreated gum disease

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates because of how difficult it is to detect. According to Cancer.net, there aren’t any affordable and reliable cancer screening options that can detect pancreatic cancer in those individuals that show no symptoms of the disease. Often this results in finding doctors finding condition when it’s spread to other parts of the body. Cancer found in the advanced stages is often untreatable and has a low survival rate. Since it’s so difficult to detect pancreatic cancer, the best way to combat it is to prevent it.

There are quite a few ways to reduce your risk of getting pancreatic cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends a few different ways to lower your chances of getting pancreatic cancer such as:

  • Quitting smoking is a great way to reduce your risk of getting pancreatic cancer
  • Maintaining a healthy weight and eating plenty of vegetables lowers your cancer risk
  • Limiting alcohol consumption may impact your chances of getting pancreatic cancer
  • Avoiding chemical exposure could decrease your likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer

Another surprising way to prevent pancreatic cancer is to practice good dental health and oral hygiene.

Pancreatic Cancer and Dental Health

For a long time, researchers have equated poor dental hygiene, like missing teeth and periodontal disease, to various health issues such as heart disease, arthritis, pancreatic cancer. However, the connection between dental health and pancreatic cancer was still misunderstood. Little was known about how oral health could be related to pancreatic cancer, but scientists were curious if they could find the link. It wasn’t until Dr. Jiyoung Ahn, Ph.D. discovered an oral bacteria that could be directly linked to pancreatic cancer.

The Pancreatic Action Network reported in May 2017 that Dr. Ahn discovered two different types of bacteria in the mouth are connected to a 50% increase chance of pancreatic cancer. Researchers are unclear if those people with chronic inflammation are more prone to periodontal issues, which increases the risk of bacteria growth in the mouth, are more likely to develop cancer, including pancreatic cancer.

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