# Periodontitis, colorectal cancer and associated factors: A cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study investigated if periodontitis severity is linked to colorectal cancer but found no significant association in a Peruvian patient population.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence from a Peruvian cohort on the lack of association between periodontitis severity and colorectal cancer diagnosis.

## Key findings

- No association was found between periodontitis severity and colorectal cancer diagnosis (p=0.068).
- Stage IV and III were the most common CRC stages, with rectum and sigmoid colon as primary tumor locations.

## Abstract

Periodontitis can cause systemic alterations associated with various oncological diseases, including colorectal cancer (CRC), with little information on this possible association and its related factors. Objectives: To determine the association between periodontitis severity, CRC, and related factors in adult patients.

This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2025 at the Trujillo Regional Teaching Hospital and the "Dr. Luis Pinillos Ganoza" Regional Institute of Neoplastic Diseases - North IREN, Trujillo, Peru. A total of 320 adult patients were evaluated: 160 without colorectal cancer (non-CRC) and 160 with colorectal cancer (CRC). Inter- and intra-rater reliability was determined for the diagnosis of periodontitis, bleeding on probing (BOP), and dental plaque control (DPC). The corresponding specialist physician performed the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test, ordinal logistic regression, and binary logistic regression models, with a significance level of p < 0.05.

No association was found between the severity of periodontitis and CRC diagnosis in the evaluated population (p=0.068). The most common CRC stages were stage IV (48.1%) and stage III (39.4%), and the most common tumor locations were the rectum (40.0%) and sigmoid colon (36.3%).

There is no association between the severity of periodontitis and CRC diagnosis.