Is periodontal disease a risk indicator for colorectal cancer? A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract 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; I 2 , 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.