FROM DAILY MAIL: Harmful bacteria and fungi living in your mouth could triple your risk of developing pancreatic cancer, a study has suggested.
Experts have long believed that people with poor oral hygiene are more vulnerable to a host of diseases—including cancer—than those with healthier mouths.
But now scientists from NYU School of Medicine, have discovered which bacteria could increase the risk, theorising that the harmful bugs originating in the mouth can be carried by saliva into the pancreas.
Writing in the journal JAMA Oncology, Dr Richard Hayes, expert in population health and study co-author, said: ‘It is clearer than ever that brushing and flossing your teeth may not only help prevent periodontal disease but may also protect against cancer.’
Recent research has found that there is a complex relationship between infections of certain types of candida -a type of yeast – and the risk and progression of some cancers, especially in immunocompromised individuals. The current study found that it may play a role in pancreatic cancer.
Candida naturally lives on the skin and within the body.
Researchers are especially focused on the oral microbiome—the community of bacteria and fungi that live in the mouth. At least three additional bacteria linked to the cancer are known to cause a gum infection known as periodontal disease.
“Altogether, the entire group of harmful microbes increased the risk of developing the cancer by more than threefold,” the report said.
Pancreatic cancer breakthrough as experts discover key lifestyle factor is linked to deadly disease https://t.co/c1Xof3cdGj
— Daily Mail US (@Daily_MailUS) September 19, 2025
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