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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2010; 31(04): 126-131
DOI: 10.4103/0971-5851.76195
REVIEW ARTICLE

The role of bacteria in oral cancer

Noureen Chocolatewala
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, M. A. Rangoonwala College of Dental Science and Research Center, Pune, India
,
Pankaj Chaturvedi
Department of Head and Neck, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India
,
Rushikesh Desale
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, M. A. Rangoonwala College of Dental Science and Research Center, Pune, India
› Author Affiliations Source of Support Nil.
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Abstract

Despite the widening interest in the possible association between bacteria and different stages of cancer development, our knowledge in its relation to oral cancers remains inadequate. The aim of this review article is to derive a better understanding on the role of various micro-organisms in the etiogenesis of oral cancers through all the available data on the pubmed. Different bacteria have been proposed to induce carcinogenesis either through induction of chronic inflammation or by interference, either directly or indirectly, with eukaryotic cell cycle and signaling pathways, or by metabolism of potentially carcinogenic substances like acetaldehyde causing mutagenesis. Studies have shown diversity of isolated bacterial taxa between the oral cancer tissue specimens and the control, with Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans, Prevotella melaninogenica, Staphylococcus aureus and Veillonella parvula being specific for tumorogenic tissues. Most isolates are saccharolytic and acid tolerant. Streptococcus anginosus, commonly linked with esophageal and pharyngeal cancers, is not of significance in oral cancers. Similarly, significant salivary specificity is noted for three bacteria, namely, Capnocytophaga gingivalis, P. melaninogenica, and Streptococcus mitis in oral cancer patients, making these species salivary markers for the early detection of oral cancers and thus improving the survival rate significantly. Also, such high degree of bacterial specificity in oral cancers has also provoked the designing of new treatment options for cancer prevention by way of vaccine delivery. However, for the success of these steps, a deeper exploration into this subject with a greater understanding is warranted.

Keywords

Bacteria - carcinogenesis - oral squamous cell carcinoma


Publication History

Article published online:
16 August 2021

© 2010. Indian Society of Medical and Paediatric Oncology. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.)

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