People who have gum disease also have a higher overall cancer risk, and both smokers and non-smokers are affected, a new study reveals.

Gum infections might be a sign that a person’s immune system is susceptible to cancer – or it could even directly cause cancer, according to new research in The Lancet Oncology.

The researchers looked at information following almost 50 000 men beginning in 1986, when US male health professionals aged 40-75 years responded to questionnaires posted by Harvard University, USA. Follow-up questionnaires were sent to all living participants every two years from then on; and dietary questionnaires every four years.

Baseline gum disease with bone loss, number of natural teeth, and tooth loss in previous two years were recorded, as was smoking history and food choices. Participants reported any new cancer diagnosis on the follow-up questionnaires.

The study found that the five most common cancers recorded were colorectal, melanoma of the skin, lung, bladder and advanced prostate cancer. After adjustment for known risk factors, including detailed smoking and history and dietary factors, participants with a history of gum disease had a 14% higher risk of cancer compared with those with no history of gum disease.

Those with a history of gum disease had an increased risk of lung cancer (36%), kidney (49%), pancreas (54%), and haematological (white blood cell) cancers (30%), compared with those with no history of gum disease. And having fewer teeth was associated with a 70% increased risk of lung cancer. In never-smokers, gum disease was associated with a 21% increase in overall cancer risk, and a 35% increased risk of blood cancers. By contrast, no association was noted for lung cancer.

The researchers concluded that gum disease was associated with a small, but significant, increase in overall cancer risk, which persisted in never-smokers.

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