Study finds patients with certain oral bacterium at higher risk of esophageal cancer

Japan: A joint research between the Edogawa Hospital (Tokyo) and Sogo Minami Tohoku Hospital (Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture) found that a high rate of patients with esophageal cancer had severe periodontal disease, smoking prevalence and drink more frequently.

The research team comprises of Professor Satoshi Miyake; Machiko Kawasaki, Graduate Student; and Yuichi Ikeda, Assistant Professor, Department of Periodontology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University. The results of the research were detailed in the article ‘Oral infectious bacteria in dental plaque and saliva as risk factors in patients with esophageal cancer’, published in an international medical journal.

Sixty-one inpatients diagnosed with esophageal cancer and 62 inpatients without cancer were examined in the mouth and saliva and plaque were collected. The DNA contained therein was extracted and the number of representative causative bacteria of 7 types of typical periodontal diseases contained therein was estimated using a PCR test.

Esophageal cancer tends to spread to surrounding tissues and organs, but it is difficult to detect it early. The research team says that this discovery opens up the possibility of developing a quick and easy screening method for esophageal cancer.

The results of the interview revealed that patients with esophageal cancer had worse periodontal disease, smoking prevalence and are drinking more frequently.

In addition, certain bacteria in plaque were detected in 16 patients with esophageal cancer, compared with only 1 in other in-patients. This bacterium was also found in saliva with high probability in patients with esophageal cancer.

Statistical analysis of the results showed that the risk of esophageal cancer increased about six-fold when the bacterium was found in saliva. It was found that if another bacterium was found in plaque, it would increase by about 33 times.

According to the research team, several studies have reported that certain types of bacteria in the oral cavity and periodontal disease bacteria have been detected in cancer tissues of the gastrointestinal tract, and the onset of bacteria and cancer. It is said that the elucidation of the causal relationship with the progress is progressing.

Read the original research article: ‘Oral infectious bacteria in dental plaque and saliva as risk factors in patients with esophageal cancer’.