Pancreatic Cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Recent studies shows that men who have Periodontal Disease have a a 64% greater chance of having pancreatic cancer than men with good oral helath. This is a significant finding especially that these men are men that never smoked.

"Our study provides the first strong evidence that periodontal disease may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. This finding is of significance as it may provide some new insights into the mechanism of this highly fatal disease," said Dr. Michaud, in the Jan. 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

It is believed that the systemic inflammation and elevated C-reactive proteins found in patients with periodontal disease may play a role in the cause for pancreatic cancer. Dr. Michaud and colleagues noted that among the men in the study with periodontal disease, levels of C-reactive protein were 30% higher compared with men with no periodontal disease, lending credence to the idea that inflammation could play a role in carcinogenesis. The crude incidence rate for pancreatic cancer among all men with periodontal disease was 61/100,000 person-years, compared with 25/100,000 for all men in the cohort without periodontal disease. Among never-smokers with gum disease and tooth loss, the crude incidence rate was: 61/100,000 person-years, compared with 19/100,000 among all never-smokers with healthy gums.

"Alternatively, periodontal disease could influence pancreatic carcinogenesis through increased generation of carcinogens, namely nitrosamines," they wrote. "Individuals with periodontal disease and poor oral hygiene have elevated levels of oral bacteria and have much higher nitrosamine levels in their oral cavity due to nitrate-reducing bacteria. Nitrosamines and gastric acidity have been hypothesized to have an important role in pancreatic cancer; numerous studies support this hypothesis."