Decade-long Study: Periodontal Disease and It’s Link to Esophageal Cancer
This article was originally published on www.todaysrdh.com on September 28, 2018
Cancer Research, a journal by the American Association for Cancer Research, published an article which revealed a potential link between periodontal disease and esophageal cancer. Dr. Jiyoung Ahn, an Associate Professor and Associate Director for Population Science at the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Center at New York University Langone Health, conducted a decade-long study focused on how oral bacteria can lead to periodontal disease and later increase a patient’s chances of developing esophageal cancer.
Facts about Esophageal Cancer
The esophagus is a long hollow tube that connects the throat to the stomach. Esophageal cancer usually develops on a cellular level when a large tumor or mass starts to grow within the esophagus. According to the National Cancer Institute, the two major types of esophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma is a type of esophageal cancer that usually forms in the lining of the upper and middle part of the esophagus. Meanwhile, patients who develop adenocarcinoma may have a tumor form in the glandular tissue around the lower section of the esophagus towards the stomach.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology states that patients suffering from esophageal cancer may experience the following symptoms: chest pain, heartburn, difficulty swallowing food and drinks, coughing, vomiting, weight loss, and pain behind the breastbone or throat region. Esophageal cancer can eventually spread to nearby organs like the lymph nodes, stomach, liver, and lungs when left untreated.
Periodontal Disease and Esophageal Cancer
Dr. Ahn decided to research the link between periodontal disease and esophageal cancer because it is the eighth most common cancer in the world. It is also ranked the sixth leading cause of death related to cancer. Patients who are diagnosed with esophageal cancer tend to have a low survival rate because it’s usually not diagnosed until it’s reached advanced stages. As a result, Dr. Ahn is passionate about conducting research that sheds new light on how to detect and prevent this deadly cancer.