Can Oral Health Play Any Role In Cancer Prevention?

Introduction

Cancer, as stated by WHO is just the abnormal or uncontrolled growth of cells in body, the
definition may sound normal but it tops the list of fatal diseases and is a most common cause for
pathological deaths in human if it isn't diagnosed at early stages.

According to a report by World Health in 2004 cancer was the cause for 7.3 million deaths in the
year 2003, and the estimates said that the number may increase by 50% in next two decades.

Prevention is always the most cost effective and long term strategy to control any disease.
Cancer is the most common cause of morality and morbidity in today's world. And studies say
that 30-50% cases of cancer cases are preventable.

Oral Health and Prevention Of Cancer

According to the estimates around 43% of deaths caused by cancer happens due to the use of
tobacco, consumption of alcohol, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle and various pathogenic
infections. So, oral health becomes a very important factor in prevention of cancer.

Cancer can be prevented by intervening the oral health risk factors.

Alcohol Use
Some studies have shown that heavy alcohol intake is a cause for nutritional deficiency, which
in turn appears to take part independently in causing oral carcinogenesis.

The attributable risks of smoking and alcohol consumption in population have been estimated
61% for females and 80% for males and 74% overall. And the number of alcohol attributable
cancers in 2010 were estimated to be 337,4700 deaths worldwide, predominantly males.

Oral Intake of Tobacco
Worldwide, nearly one third of adult population uses tobacco in some form and out which half
are predicted to die prematurely. This death toll is increasing rapidly in middle or low income
countries and people with low educational backgrounds.

Every year approximately 6 million deaths occur due to tobacco intake by causing cancer and
other diseases. It is the most avoidable risk factor for cancer mortality. Smoking tobacco causes
cancer of lungs, larynx, esophagus, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder stomach, pancreas and
cervix.
International Agency for Research on Cancer recently confirmed the evidence that even
smokeless tobacco causes oral cancer.

Infections
According to a study done in 2012, 15% of all cancers were caused by infectious agents like
Human Papilloma Virus, Hepatitis B and C and helicobacter pylori etc
Investigations have been done by the researchers on the bacteria causing periodontitis in the
development of oral cancer and several other type of cancers.
It has also been proved by the researchers that enzymes like CTLP (Denticola Chymotrypsin
like proteinase) have the ability to activate the cancer causing cells that are used to invade the
healthy tissues.
Studies like this demonstrates the virulence of pathogenic bacteria that may take part in cancer
formation.

Vaccines are available for several types of HPV and Hepatitis B virus that can reduce the
chances of several types of cancers.

Environmental Pollutants
Air pollution is considered as a carcinogenic for human beings. More than 4 million people die
prematurely from illness caused by household air pollution, 6% percent of these deaths were
because of lung cancers. Indoor air pollution by coal doubles the risk of lung cancer, specially in
non- smoking women.

So, as quoted by American Cancer Society "the individual's risk of developing cancer can be
substantially reduced by healthy behaviour" &  And as it clear from the above facts that oral health
is an important measure in preventing cancers, one must follow a healthy lifestyle to avoid the
risk and apart from that vaccination is also important, one must also participate in cancer
screenings according to the suggested guidel

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