Chronic Inflammation and Carcinogenesis – Emerging Role of Chronic Inflammatory Periodontal Disease

With exponential increase in the number of cases of cancers worldwide in recent past, it is imperative to enhance our understanding about the etiologic and risk factors associated with this seriously morbid condition. Increasing attention has been focussed on chronic infections and inflammatory diseases, implicating a role in carcinogenesis, particularly in developing countries. Periodontal disease is a bacterially induced chronic inflammatory process that affects tooth supporting connective tissue and alveolar bone in the oral cavity, potentially leading to tooth loss. The concept of these diseases as localized entities affecting only the teeth and supporting apparatus has been revised lately, in the light of mounting evidence of periodontal infection’s influence on chronic inflammatory disease states. Periodontal disease has been linked to several systemic conditions like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, adverse pregnancy outcomes, obesity and cancers, yet underlying mechanisms are still elucidating. The focus of this review article will be an in depth discussion of the role of chronic inflammation, particularly chronic periodontal inflammation in causation or association of human cancers and discussion of possible biological mechanisms involved.