Is periodontal disease associated with stomach cancer?
Did you know that brushing and flossing may actually reduce your risk for developing stomach cancer? A recent study completed at New York University (NYU) suggests that periodontal disease may be linked to an increased risk for precancerous gastric lesions. In other words, gum disease may be associated with an increased risk for developing stomach sores which may transform into cancer. The study involved 35 individuals with precancerous lesions and found that 32% of these ind
Another reason to brush your teeth
Did you know that brushing your teeth may reduce your risk of throat cancer? A new study performed at New York University published in the journal Cancer Research suggests that higher bacterial levels linked to periodontal disease may increase an individual's risk for developing esophageal cancer. The research was performed over 10 years, and 122,000 salivary samples were analyzed. Of the 122,000 people, 106 participants developed throat cancer. What does this all mean? The s
Could a simple swab of saliva predict cancer?
The eyes may be the window to the soul, but could saliva be a snapshot of your overall health? Researchers at University of California, Los Angeles are beginning to suggest that saliva may contain certain markers that can predict diseases including cancer. Dr. David Wong, a professor and head researcher at UCLA has sequenced over 160 million genes in saliva and published a study last year on RNA in saliva reporting the presence of circular RNA in saliva. What is RNA? RNA is r
The Scoop on Very Hot Drinks and Cancer
Lately, the link between very hot drinks and cancer has been a HOT topic of discussion. Do hot drinks cause cancer? What about coffee? How hot is too hot? So here's the lowdown. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization today reported that drinking extremely hot beverages is "probably carcinogenic to humans." How hot is too hot? Extremely hot means beverages above 149 degrees Fahrenheit or 65 degrees Centigrade. Drinki
Yet another reason to get a good night's sleep: The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Melanoma
From Ariana Huffington's new book, The Sleep Revolution, to the 2013 Metro-North train derailment accident when an engineer with undiagnosed sleep apnea fell asleep during work, sleep has been getting a lot of press lately. And for good reason. Sleep is essential to our survival and growth. Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders are serious problems that must be addressed. What's that noise? Snoring and Sleep Apnea We all know that snoring isn't sexy, but did you also know tha
Hepatitis C and Head and Neck Cancers: What You Need to Know
New research suggests that hepatitis C is linked to an increased risk for developing head and neck cancers. It has been known for a while that Hepatitis C may be associated with an heightened risk for developing lymphoma and liver cancer. Dr. Harry Torres at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center evaluated 34,545 patients with a history of Hepatitis C and reported that 409 of these patients had head and neck cancers. They reported that patients with a history of Hepa
Oral bacteria and pancreatic cancer: how are they related?
Bacteria in one's mouth and pancreatic cancer? Yes, you read that correctly. It is well established that oral health is linked to systemic health, and the relationships between oral health and the systemic continue to increase. Research conducted by Jiyoung Ahn, PhD, professor at NYU Langone Medical Center, suggests that certain oral bacteria may be linked to an increased risk for developing pancreatic cancer. Specifically, the researchers found that two species implicated in
What is Cancer? Taxonomy 101
Sarcoma, carcinoma , leukemia, lymphoma. There are so many terms. What do they mean? The medical jargon used to classify cancer can be overwhelming and confusing, but it doesn't have to be. Here is a basic summary of cancer taxonomy. Cancer is classified based on the tissue type from which the cancer originated and the anatomical location or just the tissue type alone. Essentially, a tissue is a group of cells. For example, epithelial tissue is composed of cells that com
Stages v. Grades: What's the Difference?
Cancer is often described in terms of stages and grades, but it is easy to confuse the two terms. Oncologists use both terms to identify the progression of the disease which helps determine the appropriate treatment. STAGE Stage often refers to the size of the tumor as well as whether the tumor has metastatized, or spread. In the U.S., staging is often described according to the TNM classification system devised by Pierre Denoix in the late 1940's and 1950s. This widely accep
What is cancer?
This helpful video from FoundationMedicine explains what cancer is in 3 minutes. References Cancer Explained. FoundationMedicine. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 23 Nov. 2013. YouTube. Web. 02 Sept. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwbuW7oK8rk>. #cancer #dentaloncology #oralcancer #lymphoma #metastaticcancertobone #prostatecancer #breastcancer #bonecancer