Dental amalgam is a common cause of oral and systemic cancers

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Dental amalgam is a common cause of oral and systemic cancers

It has been well documented in the medical literature that immune reactivity to

mercury in dental amalgam is the most common cause of oral lichen planus , oral

lichen lesions, and other oral lesions, and that most who have their amalgam

fillings replaced recover(45).

Oral lichen planus and oral lesions are inflammatory pre-cancerous conditions

that have been well documented in the literature to often develop into oral

squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)(46). Infection and chronic inflammation have

been found to contribute to carcinogenesis through inflammation-related

mechanisms(47,48). Inflammatory bowel diseases are associated with colon

carcinogenesis and inflammatory oral conditions such as oral lichen planus

(OLP) and leukoplakia are associated with OSCC.

Previous studies have shown significant increases of NF-kappaB dependent

cytokines, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha(TNF-a), IL-1alpha, IL-6, and IL-8 in

different oral fluids from oral lichen planus (OLP) patients(48). In samples of

whole unstimulated saliva in this study, for moderate and severe OLP dysplasia,

the level of each cytokine was significantly higher than in control. In moderate

dysplasia, TNF-alpha and IL-1alpha were significantly increased at a level

without difference from OSCC, but IL-6 and IL-8 was detected at a concentration

significantly lower than OSCC. In severe OLP dysplasia, the level of TNF-alpha

was not significantly different from that of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. The

study confirmed preclinical data that NF-kappaB dependent cytokines are

upregulated in pre-malignant OLP and oral carcinogenesis. Cytologic and

DNA-cytometric examination of oral lesions and oral lichen planus have also been

found to be reliable indicators of OLP cases becoming malignant(49).

Immunolabeled oncoproteins were found to b modified in the premalignant

leukoplakia, oral lichen planus and in squamous cell cancer(49,46a).

The evidence supports that dental amalgam is the most common cause of oral

squamous cell carcinoma, similar to the fact it is the most common cause of OLP.

The available pretreatment dental records of 133 patients with carcinoma of the

tongue seen at the British Columbia Cancer Agency between 1958 and 1992 were

reviewed. The majority had amalgam fillings on the side of the tongue involved

in the carcinoma. Of the 7 patients with amalgams on only one side of the

mouth, 6 cases of oral cancer had amalgams on the side of the cancer and only 1

on the side without amalgams(50).

People with oral lichen planus often develop OLP at multiple sites(51) and also

can have lichen planus in other locations such as the esophagus(52) or

genitals(53). In one study 41 women diagnosed with OLP underwent gynecological

exam and 75.6% were found to have evidence of genital involvement, vulvar lichen

planus or vulvar lichen sclerosis(53b). Such inflammatory conditions can also

become cancerous(52,54). Two siblings with long standing cutaneous lichen

planus of the esophagus both developed squamous cell carcinoma(52). Since

immune reactivity to mercury is the most common cause of OLP and OSCC and since

immune reactivity to mercury is a systemic condition (37,etc.), systemic immune

reactivity to mercury might be the most likely cause of lichen planus and

resulting squamous cell cancers of other organs such as the esophagus and

genitals.

References:

www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/olp.html

(I'm not aware of any credible scientists or doctors who dispute this, yet its

little known)