Association between Tooth Loss and Gastric Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Abstract

Observational studies showed that tooth loss is associated with gastric cancer, but the findings are inconsistent. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between tooth loss and gastric cancer. Relevant studies were screened in PubMed and Embase databases, and nine observational studies were considered eligible for the analysis. The combined relative risks for the highest versus the lowest categories of tooth loss were 1.86 (95% CI: 1.08–3.21) and 1.31 (95% CI: 1.12–1.53) in case control and cohort studies, respectively. However, unstable results were observed in the stratified and sensitivity analysis. The current evidence, based solely on four case-control studies and five cohort studies, suggested that tooth loss is a potential marker of gastric cancer. However, we can not concluded at this time that tooth loss may be a risk factor for gastric cancer due to significant heterogeneity among studies and mixed results between case-control studies and cohort studies. Additional large-scale and high-quality prospective studies are required to evaluate the association between tooth loss and risk of gastric cancer.

Periodontal disease, tooth loss, and the risk of liver cancer: A systematic review

“…Periodontal diseases and/or tooth loss have been suggested as potential risk factors for distant cancers including oro-digestive cancers. [19,31,32] In this context, some epidemiological studies have explored the potential association between tooth loss and/or periodontal health status and the risk of liver cancer, and concluding conflicting results. [4][5][6]25] Therefore, the present study sought to systematically review, summarize and appraise the available evidence regarding the potential association of periodontal diseases and/or tooth loss with the risk of liver cancer.…”

“…Previous studies have linked periodontal disease/tooth loss with various cancers including gastric cancer, esophagus cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, oral cancer, and lung cancer. [3,[15][16][17][18][19][20] Tooth loss is a devastating end result of uncontrolled bacterial infections, mainly periodontitis. [7,8] So far, the exact mechanism underlying the potential association between periodontal disease/tooth loss with distant cancers has not fully understood.…”

“…[13,14] Of paramount importance in this context are the findings from epidemiologic studies, which suggested an association between periodontitis and/or tooth loss and the risk of cancers including lung cancer, esophagus cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer. [3,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21] The mechanism behind the claim connecting periodontitis and distant cancers might be related to the persistent periodontal infection, and the resultant inflammation that induce a state of systemic chronic inflammation, and eventually cancer. Surprisingly, periodontal pathogens, especially porphyromonas gingivalis and fusobacterium nucleatum have been isolated from some orodigestive cancer tissues, a matter that indicates potential roles for these pathogens in carcinogenesis and tumor proliferation at distant sites.…”

Number of remaining teeth and its association with educational level in Chilean adults: data from the National Health Survey 2016-2017

“…As a result of the progression of untreated tooth decay or periodontitis, this problem has arisen (2). Tooth loss has been related to coronary artery disease (3), metabolic syndrome (4), obesity (5), diabetes (6), dementia (7) and some types of cancer (8)(9)(10). The consequences of tooth loss depend on the severity and intraoral location of the lost teeth (11).…”

Correlation between prognostic nutritional index and occlusal status in gastric cancer

“…Therefore, low preoperative nutritional status in patients with gastric cancer is associated with delayed wound healing, decreased immune function, development of complications, and increased mortality (Buzby et al, ; Fukai et al, ; Kim et al, ; Onodera et al, ; Ship et al, ; Soini et al, ; Yoshida et al, ). Potential mechanisms underlying the association between oral health and gastric cancer include periodontal disease, drinking and smoking habits, local activation of carcinogens, such as acetaldehyde and nitrosamines derived from diet, inflammation of the mucosa of the upper gastrointestinal tract because of inadequately chewed foods, dietary composition, and changes in the oral bacterial flora, which may cause increased systemic inflammation in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts, including the stomach, pancreas, and cardiovascular system (Rocco & Nardone ; Yin et al, ,). Most studies reported that tooth loss is associated with the risk for gastric cancer, whereas some studies showed no significant association between them, and there is still no consensus on this issue (Abnet et al, ; Michaud et al, ).…”