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Patrick Swayze was a long time smoker and still had not kicked the habit in January 2009, just nine months before his death. Many people know and understand that smoking increases the risk of gum disease, but what most people do not know is that gum disease increases the risk for pancreatic cancer, as well.
Pancreatic cancer is slightly more common in men than in women. The risk increases with age, obesity and smoking.
Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly cancers. In more than 80% of patients, at the time of diagnosis, the tumor has already spread and cannot be completely removed
Chemotherapy and radiation are often given after surgery to increase the cure rate. For pancreatic cancer that cannot be removed completely with surgery, or cancer that has spread beyond the pancreas, a cure is not possible and the average survival is usually less than 1 year.
This cancer has a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%, meaning 95% of the people diagnosed with it will not be alive 5 years later.
How can good dental hygiene impact your risk for pancreatic cancer? By treating the mouth, you are taking positive steps toward preventing systemic diseases. Though pancreatic cancer does not exclusively affect smokers, smoking increases the risks of other diseases as well. Regular hygiene appointments, like those we recommend at Johnson Dental, will help prevent the infections that smokers are more susceptible to. In addition, your hygienist should be performing regular oral cancer screenings. If you are not getting screened for oral cancer at each dental visit, request a screening. Visual inspection is still the most efficient and cost effective detection method for oral cancer. Early detection increases survival rates and decreases the invasiveness of treatment necessary.
