NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Sep 11 - Chronic periodontitis may be a risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and this association is modified by smoking status, according to an article in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention.
At the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, researchers found that each millimeter of alveolar bone loss increased the risk of HNSCC by 4.36-fold. This association was strongest for malignancies in the oral cavity, followed by those in the oropharynx and larynx.
Dr. Mine Tezal from the State University of New York in Buffalo and her colleagues note that 266 patients with primary HNSCC and 207 controls were involved in the study. Periodontitis, as reflected by alveolar bone loss, was diagnosed on panoramic x-rays by an examiner who was unaware of the patients' cancer status.
The link between gum disease and HNSCC was seen even in subjects who had never used tobacco or alcohol. In fact, the association between alveolar bone loss and HNSCC in never smokers (OR 5.96) was intermediate between that in current smokers (OR 2.85) and former smokers (OR 7.59).
In patients with oral cavity cancers, a higher rate of poorly differentiated disease was seen in those with periodontitis: 32.8% vs. 11.5% (p = 0.038).
"Confirmatory studies with more comprehensive assessment of smoking, such as duration, quantity and patterns of use, as well as smokeless tobacco history are needed," Dr. Tezal said in a statement.
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