Bad breath bacteria may indicate a significant risk for pancreatic cancer, according to researchers from the Forsyth Institute, Harvard University and Brown University. The team determined that patients with one of the more infectious periodontal bacteria strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis faced a twofold risk for pancreatic cancer. But subjects who had higher levels of antibodies for other kinds of harmless, commensal oral bacteria faced a 45% lower risk. The finding, based on the evaluation of blood samples from more than 800 European adults, strengthens the idea of using antibodies for oral bacteria to diagnose a pancreatic cancer risk. Details are published in the journal Gut. Abstract