Oral disease increases cancer mortality...13% colon cancer and 9% liver cancer are at high risk
Jul 16, 2025
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In particular, the study revealed that not only tooth loss but also gingivitis, an early gum disease, can increase cancer incidence and mortality, shedding light on the importance of oral health care in public health.
In previous studies, periodontal disease is known to be associated with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lung disease, and cancer, and studies suggesting an association with cancer in particular are increasing. However, most were limited to periodontitis or tooth loss, and there was a lack of clear conclusions on how much each oral disease affected cancer and which cancer had a clear connection.
Professor Kim Gye-hyung of Seoul National University Hospital's Public Medical Center and Dr. Lee Seung-yeon of the public sector of Seoul Boramae Hospital announced the results of a study on the 16th that analyzed the health data of 3.84 million adults in Korea, classifying various oral diseases and quantitatively analyzing the relationship between cancer incidence and death.
The research team tracked 3,845,280 adults who underwent oral examinations in 2009 for more than 10 years by linking the National Health Insurance Corporation's medical records from 2006 to 2019 with the National Statistical Office's death data. Oral diseases were classified into three categories: tooth decay, gingivitis, and tooth loss, and the incidence and cancer mortality of all cancer and each site were analyzed according to the presence or absence.
As a result, the total number of cancer cases totaled 181,754, with more cancers occurring in people with oral diseases than those who did not. In particular, in the case of tooth loss, colon cancer was 13%, liver cancer was 9%, stomach cancer was 8%, and lung cancer was 4%. Even in the presence of gingivitis, the risk of developing liver and colon cancer increased by 8% and 7%, respectively.
There was also a significant difference in death from cancer. There were a total of 37,135 deaths from cancer over 10 years, and the risk of total cancer death was 12% higher in the case of oral disease. People with tooth loss increased prostate cancer mortality by 24%, gastric cancer by 21%, liver cancer by 16%, colon cancer by 14%, and lung cancer by 8%. Gingivitis was also analyzed to increase liver cancer mortality by 11%.
This effect was particularly evident in the elderly over 50 years of age. In those over 50 years of age, tooth loss has been shown to increase the overall risk of cancer by 18%, and a higher incidence has been identified in all major gastrointestinal cancers such as gastric cancer, colon cancer, and liver cancer. In addition, the risk of cancer due to tooth loss was greater in the high-income group and the group with smoking experience, and the risk of gastric cancer, colon cancer, and liver cancer was observed to increase even if there was no smoking experience. This suggests that oral disease may act as an independent risk factor for cancer development in addition to simple lifestyle factors.
Professor Kim Gye-hyung (Seoul National University Hospital's Public Medical Center) said, `Oral disease does not just affect dental health, but also causes a systemic inflammatory response through chronic inflammation, and this process may be involved in the development and progression of cancer"Regular oral checkups, hygiene management, and dental treatment can be new strategies for cancer prevention."," he stressed.
Dr. Lee Seung-yeon (public sector of Seoul Boramae Hospital) said, "This study was conducted based on the academic legacy left by the late Ahn Hyung-sik, a professor of preventive medicine, and the will of dedicated education in the field of preventive medicine and public health. It is significant in that it analyzed the effect of oral disease on cancer incidence and death by linking national oral examination data with health insurance and death data."
Meanwhile, the results of this study were published in the recent issue of the international journal 'Science Progress'.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
