Aims: Existing epidemiological studies have suggested that periodontal disease (PD) may be a risk indicator for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, no formal systematic review and meta-analysis have been performed. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association between PD and CRC risk in this study.
Materials and methods: We used the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science to search for related articles published from 1 January 1966 to 16 July 2020. Stata (Version 15) software was used to calculate the total risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the included studies through the random-effects model to assess the association between PD and CRC risk.
Results: Nine studies were included in the narrative synthesis, and seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. Results showed that PD significantly increased the risk of CRC by 44% (RR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.18-1.76; I2 , 55.2%).
Conclusion: We found an association between PD and CRC. PD can be a potential risk indicator for the occurrence and development of CRC, and further studies are needed to assess causality. Hence, effective periodontal treatment could be a valuable preventive measure for CRC.
Keywords: cohort; colorectal cancer; meta-analysis; periodontal disease; risk factors.
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