Can our mouths detect early signs of stomach cancer?

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Early signs of deadly stomach cancer can be detected years before symptoms appear using medicated mouthwash, a new study has found.

Researchers at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey used mouthwash tests to find signs of stomach cancer, and found clear changes in bacteria in the mouths of people who had the disease.

The team analyzed oral bacteria samples from mouthwash from 98 patients scheduled for endoscopy, in which a camera is inserted into the stomach through the throat to detect digestive problems. The study included 30 stomach cancer patients.

They also studied samples taken from 30 people with pre-cancerous gastrointestinal conditions, such as inflammation and thinning of the stomach lining, as well as 38 healthy control subjects.

One in 50 people with gastric lining may develop stomach cancer within 20 years.

The research team found major differences between the oral bacteria of the healthy group, compared to the cancerous group and patients with pre-cancerous conditions.

There was also very little difference between samples taken from patients with potential cancer and those who actually had cancer, suggesting that key changes occur and can be detected at the pre-cancer stage.

The researchers focused on 13 types of bacteria that showed a set of the most significant differences between control group participants, cancer patients, and pre-cancer patients.

Increases in bacteria, including Rothia, Leptorichia and lactobacilli, have been seen in patients with stomach cancer.

“Knowing the bacteria in the mouth tells us what the stomach environment is like,” said study author Dr. Shruthi Reddy Berati, a general surgery specialist at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson School. “This has major implications that could lead to some changing tests and guidelines for medical practice.”

It is worth noting that stomach cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and the symptoms often mimic other less serious conditions, which means the disease is discovered late, when it has spread to other parts of the body.