Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy found that an oral bacterium commonly associated with periodontal disease can promote breast cancer initiation, tumor growth, and spread by inducing DNA damage and altering cancer cell behavior.
Triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers. It grows quickly, spreads early, and lacks hormone receptors that make it treatable with targeted therapies. Even when patients initially respond to treatment, the cancer often returns and is more resistant.
