A study from the University of Granada links periodontitis with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

A study led by the University of Granada has revealed that periodontitis may increase the risk of colorectal cancer, as 69.5% of patients with this type of cancer suffer from inflammatory gum disease. The research, conducted in conjunction with the Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital in Murcia, suggests that the chronic inflammation caused by periodontitis could act as a "cancerization field," promoting tumor progression through increased carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels. This finding reinforces the importance of oral health in cancer prevention.

The results of this study, published in the journal Clinical Oral Investigations and conducted on nearly sixty patients with colorectal cancer, have revealed that those with periodontitis had significantly higher levels of CEA , a key tumor marker. Furthermore, the authors identified that the chronic inflammation generated by periodontal disease could alter the immune response and promote mechanisms that facilitate tumor growth. However, no direct association was found between periodontitis and cancer aggressiveness in other variables analyzed.

Researchers have proposed a dual mechanism : on the one hand, CEA released by periodontal pockets inhibits programmed tumor cell death. On the other hand, chronic production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) activates molecular pathways related to cell proliferation and metastasis . The work, carried out by the UGR research group in collaboration with the Digestive Diseases Service at Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital, has also been partially funded by the Dentsply-Sirona Chair.

The study's principal investigator and professor of Stomatology at the University of Granada, Francisco Mesa Aguado, explained that these results underscore the need to integrate oral health into cancer prevention strategies . Although further studies are needed to confirm these findings, this research opens new avenues for understanding how chronic inflammatory diseases, such as periodontitis, might influence tumor development.