Signs of stomach cancer can be seen in patients’ mouths years before symptoms, a new study suggests

The first signs of deadly stomach cancer can be detected years before symptoms develop using a medical mouthwash, a new study suggests.

Researchers at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine in New Jersey used a “swish and spit” mouthwash to look for signs of the disease.

Specifically, they found telltale changes in bacteria in the mouths of people who went on to develop the disease.

Stomach cancer – the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide – is particularly deadly because its symptoms are often similar to other, less serious conditions, meaning the disease is caught late, when it has spread to other parts of the body.

Some research suggests the disease is increasing among young people, mirroring the current trend in many types of cancer, including cases of colon that have risen more than 300 percent among teens in the past two decades.

As pictured above, having no energy, unintentional weight loss, constant digestive problems, difficulty swallowing, feeling sick, and a lump at the top of your stomach are all warning signs and symptoms of stomach cancer.

In 2020, only 0.6 children aged 10 to 14 were diagnosed with colorectal cancer per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 0.1 per 100,000 in 1999 – an increase of 500 percent. Escalations were also seen in older adults, with rates rising 71 percent in 2020 to 6.5 per 100,000 people in the 30 to 34 age group and 58 percent to 11.7 per 100,000 in the 35 to 39 age group .

Country music star Toby Keith lost his battle with stomach cancer in February 2024 at the age of 62

The types of bacteria in the mouth and stomach are linked, the researchers discovered.

“Knowing what insects are in your mouth tells us what the stomach environment looks like,” says Dr. Shruthi Reddy Perati, study author and resident in general surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine.

‘That has a huge implication that could lead to practice-changing tests and guidelines.’

Researchers analyzed oral bacteria samples from 98 patients scheduled for endoscopy – where a camera is inserted through the throat into the stomach to investigate digestive problems.

The sample included 30 gastric cancer patients.

They also tested samples from 30 people with precancerous stomach conditions, such as inflammation and thinning of the stomach lining, as well as 38 healthcare subjects.

These conditions do not always lead to cancer, but in people who undergo endoscopy, one in 50 with inflammation of the stomach lining will develop stomach cancer within twenty years.

The doctors discovered important differences between the oral microbiomes – the microorganisms in the mouth – of the healthy group compared to the cancer group and precancerous patients.

There was also very little difference between the samples from precancerous patients and those with cancer, suggesting that the most important changes occur and can be detected in the precancerous stage.

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

An increase in the number of bacteria, including rothia, leptotrichia and lactobacillus, was observed in the microbiomes of patients with gastric cancer.

No formal screening guidelines for stomach cancer currently exist in the US.

There are approximately 11,130 deaths from stomach tumors in the US each year.

Other research shows that the number of cases of colorectal cancer in some young age groups has increased by up to six times since 2000.

Doctors said the cancers are likely to be overlooked because routine screening in America is only recommended every 10 years starting at age 45.

The trend of younger and younger cancer cases has been linked to junk food, obesity and toxic chemicals.