Teeth loss and risk of cancer at 14 common sites in Japanese.
BACKGROUND
Tooth loss has been associated with a higher risk of several types of cancer. To clarify the significance of tooth loss to the risk of 14 common cancers, we conducted a large-scale, case-control study based on the Hospital-based Epidemiologic Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center.


METHODS
A total of 5,240 cancer subjects and 10,480 age- and sex-matched noncancer controls were recruited. Patients with 14 types of cancer newly diagnosed from 2000 to 2005 were eligible as case subjects, and new outpatients without cancer in the same time period were eligible as controls. Tooth loss was categorized into four groups: group 1, number of remaining teeth, >or=21; group 2, 9 to 20; group 3, 1 to 8; and group 4, 0. The effect of tooth loss was assessed as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) calculated with conditional logistic regression models, with adjustment for potential confounders.


RESULTS
A decreased number of remaining teeth was associated with increased OR of head and neck (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 0.88-1.93; P trend = 0.055), esophageal (OR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.17-4.75; P trend = 0.002), and lung (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.05-2.27; P trend = 0.027) cancers.


CONCLUSIONS
We showed a significant positive association between tooth loss and the risk of head and neck, esophageal, and lung cancers after adjustment for potential confounding factors. The findings indicate that preventive efforts aimed at the preservation of teeth may decrease the risk of these cancers.
Hiraki
Akio
A
Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center, 1-1 Kanokoden, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8681, Japan. ahiraki@aichi-cc.jp
Matsuo
Keitaro
K
Suzuki
Takeshi
T
Kawase
Takakazu
T
Tajima
Kazuo
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016388:Tooth Loss