Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 14: Oral health could play a pivotal role in improving cancer care and survival outcomes, say experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, urging stronger public health action and policy support in Southeast Asia.

In a comment published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia, Dr. Abhishek Shankar and Dr. Vaibhav Sahni, oncologists from AIIMS, underline the growing evidence linking poor oral hygiene to elevated cancer risks, especially in head and neck cancers (HNC). They emphasize that maintaining oral health can enhance both cancer-specific and overall disease-free survival.

Key Findings:

• Pathogenic oral bacteria like Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia have been associated with higher cancer incidence and poorer survival rates.
• Routine dental visits over a decade were shown to significantly reduce cancer mortality, according to global studies cited by the authors.
• Oral health needs to be integrated across all levels of healthcare, from primary to specialized oncology care.

“It is abundantly clear that oral healthcare plays a significant role in enhancing health-related outcomes, including those related to cancer survivorship,” said the researchers in their paper.

Recommendations and Public Health Strategies:

Dr Shankar and Dr Sahni advocate for structured public health interventions, including:

• School-based toothbrushing programs to promote early oral hygiene habits.
• Point-of-care (PoC) oral rinse-based testing for early detection of periodontal disease.
• Free distribution of toothbrushes and toothpaste to encourage behavioral change in underserved communities.
• Incentives for teachers and parents to promote oral hygiene awareness among children.
• Warning labels on sugary foods and policy action to ban child-targeted marketing of sugar-laden products.

“We want public health initiatives to be structured around oral health. This approach benefits not just the population but also reduces long-term healthcare expenditure,” Dr. Shankar told reporters.

Dr. Sahni added that policy-level changes are critical to address the systemic links between oral health and cancer. He also stressed the importance of region-specific research rather than relying solely on Western data.

“We need proper studies tailored to Southeast Asia. One-size-fits-all data cannot be applied directly,” Dr. Sahni stated.

This commentary comes at a time when cancer burden in Southeast Asia is rising, and the role of preventive care, especially oral hygiene, is gaining attention in comprehensive cancer management.