Mouth Microbes Linked to Increased Pancreatic Cancer Risk, New Study Suggests
New york, NY - A groundbreaking study published in JAMA reveals a potential link between the composition of microbes in the mouth and an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest and most tough-to-detect cancers. Researchers at NYU Langone Health have identified specific bacteria and fungi present in the oral microbiome that correlate with a higher likelihood of developing the disease.
The research team analyzed data from two large, long-term health studies – the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial and the American Cancer Society cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort - comparing data from 445 pancreatic cancer patients with 445 healthy controls. Their “bacteriome-wide scan” revealed 13 oral bacteria associated with increased risk and eight associated with decreased risk.
specifically, the study highlighted Porphyromonas gingivalis, Eubacterium nodatum, and Parvimonas micra, along with the fungus Candida tropicalis, as being linked to a greater chance of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.Researchers hypothesize these microbes may access the pancreas via the digestive system through saliva.
“While this doesn’t necessarily mean the microbes they identified cause cancer directly, the patterns they observed highlight species that warrant further investigation,” cautioned researcher Hayes. The study also noted that other Candida and bacterial species were associated with a decreased risk, emphasizing the importance of a balanced oral microflora.
pancreatic cancer has a dismal five-year survival rate of just 13 percent, largely due to late diagnosis. Symptoms frequently enough don’t appear until the disease is advanced. NYU epidemiologist jiyoung Ahn suggests that profiling oral microbial populations could help oncologists identify individuals who would benefit from increased pancreatic cancer screening.
The team plans to further investigate the role of viruses in these risks. This research builds upon past findings suggesting a connection between oral health and systemic diseases.
