Gum Disease and Colon Cancer- Crystal Lake Dentist

Colon Cancer is Common and Deadly

It is the second leading cause of death by cancer in the United States. . In 2009, the most recent year data was available, 136,717 people in the United States were diagnosed with the disease. Overall, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 20 (5%). 

 Gum Disease and Fusobacteruim nucleatum

The connection is Fusobacterium nucleatum. Fusobacterium nucleatum is an oral bacteria, common to the human oral cavity, that plays a role in periodontal disease. This organism is commonly recovered from different  infections in humans and animals. It is a key component of periodontal plaque due to its abundance and its ability to live in community with other bacteria in the oral cavity 

Other conditions caused by Fusobacterium nucleatum 

Dr. Yiping Han has been tracking this bacteria for years. Research has shown that this  bacteria  travels  through the body and attaches itself to blood vessels  Dr Han has and implicated it in low birth weight, amniotic fluid sepsis, and fetal death. 

The Colon Cancer Connection

According to Dr. Yipping Han, it has been reported that there were a striking number of the bacteria in colon cancer tumor samples, published concurrently by separate research groups in the journal Genome Research.“There were huge numbers of [the bacteria] in the tumor tissues,” Han said. “But we didn't know if it was a cause or a consequence of the cancer. Using a test-tube experiment with samples of colon cancer tumors, Han’s lab mixed in Fusobacterium, and found that the cancer cells grew faster. “But if we knocked out [FadA] ( a component of the bacteria's metabolism), it didn't stimulate the growth anymore,” Han said. Dr Han's lab took their experiments in vivo, and injected Fusobacterium into mice who had colon cancer tumors. As expected, the bacteria increased the tumor growth rate.

Now What?

Dr. Han believes that there are markers for Fusobacterium nucleatum that doctors can track to help in early diagnosis of tumors and Colorectal Cancer. More research needs to be done to develop this testing procedure.

What Can You Do?

Go to the dentist regularly and have your teeth professionally cleaned. In addition, In addition if you are told you have gum disease, you need to get it treated. Also adults over age 40 should have routine colonoscopy done every 5 years.

Gateway To The Body.

The mouth is truly the gateway to your body and it is important to keep it healthy.In my previous blog, I listed several other conditions related to gum disease including Alzheimer's, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis and respiratory disease. Now you can include low birth weight, fetal sepsis, fetal death, and colon cancer.

Call for an appointment today!

815 459 2202

 Dr. Neal answers all of your questions about Gum Disease at Crystal Lake Dental Associates.

Your comments are welcome

Phillip C. Neal DDS

Crystal Lake Dental Associates

280 B Memorial Court

Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014

drneal.com