Several studies have indicated that
periodontitis is a risk factor for
cancer. However, the association between
periodontitis and the prognosis of pancreatobiliary tract
cancer remains unclear. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the association between
periodontitis and prognosis of pancreatobiliary tract
cancer. A total of 22 patients diagnosed with pancreatobiliary tract
cancer were analyzed. Oral health status, including severity of
periodontitis, general health status and biochemical
serum markers were evaluated. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used to assess factors affecting the prognosis of pancreatobiliary tract
cancer. The Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that low body mass index, high concentration of serum
C-reactive protein (CRP) and severe
periodontitis were significant prognostic factors for survival rate. The Cox proportional hazards model revealed that serum
carbohydrate antigen 19-9 concentration [hazard ratio (HR)=1.002; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.000-1.004] and serum CRP concentration (HR=2.57; 95% CI: 1.15-5.74) were significantly associated with the prognosis of pancreatobiliary tract
cancer. In addition,
cancer patients with severe
periodontitis had higher serum CRP concentrations compared with those without severe
periodontitis. Therefore, severe
periodontitis indirectly affected the prognosis of pancreatobiliary tract
cancer through promoting systemic
inflammation.