PANCREATIC CANCER

A new study from Harvard has linked periodontal disease to pancreatic cancer. One possible reason for the link between gum disease and pancreatic cancer could be that individuals with periodontal disease have elevated serum levels of systemic inflammation, such as C-reactive protein, and these may somehow contribute to the promotion of cancer cells. This finding is of significance as it may provide some new insights into the mechanism of this highly fatal disease. The research article can be found in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Jan 2007.