New Delhi: Oral health plays a significant role in cancer care, and increasing survival rate, according to researchers from the All India Medical Science (AIIMS). 

The presence of pathogenic oral bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia has been shown to elevate cancer incidence and adversely affect overall cancer-specific and disease-free survival.

In a comment published in the journal, The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia, oncologists Dr. Abhishek Shankar, and Dr. Vaibhav Sahni from AIIMS stated that urged the need to boost public health initiatives as oral health can significantly influence cancer outcomes and survivorship.

“It is abundantly clear that oral healthcare plays a significant role in enhancing health-related outcomes, including those related to cancer survivorship. This evidence underscores the necessity of integrating oral health practices not only at the primary care level but throughout all healthcare settings,” the researchers said in the paper.

The oncologists also cited several global studies that cited the link between oral health and cancer, particularly in head and neck cancers (HNC). The studies showed that routine dental visits over the past 10 years were associated with reduced cancer mortality.

They urged for initiatives such as the toothbrushing programmes for boosting oral care and implementing oral mouthrinse- based point-of-care 3 (PoC) testing for early diagnosis of periodontal disease.

“We tried to emphasise the importance of oral health in cancer care particularly for the Southeast Asia region to promote awareness and policy-level decision-making,” Dr Shankar, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at AIIMS, Delhi, told IANS.

“We want public health initiatives to be structured around oral health such as school toothbrushing programmes stand to aid not only the population at large but the exchequer as well,” he added.

Further, the paper suggests sensitising and incentivising teachers and families regarding the importance of oral health, alongside providing free toothbrush and toothpaste samples to help foster behavioural change.

In addition, public health interventions like nutrition and sugar warning labels may assist consumers in making informed decisions.

“Prohibiting sugar-laden foods marketed using likable characters needs to be taken up seriously at a policy level,” Dr Sahni, Scientist of Radiation Oncologat, AIIMS Delhi, told IANS.

He highlighted the systemic and public health importance of oral health in cancer-related outcomes as well as emphasise the need for relevant data. The expert also called for proper studies in Southeast Asia and not a simple translation of Western findings to the region's context. (IANS)