In a recent study, an increased concentration of certain bacteria in the gut indicates a higher chance of developing colon cancer.
Bowel cancer is a common term for cancer that starts in the large intestine. Depending on where the cancer started, bowel cancer is sometimes referred to as colon cancer, colon cancer or rectal cancer.
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The study, published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, states: “Colon and colorectal cancer is a major health concern worldwide, but little is known about the composition and role of microorganisms associated with premature growth.”
It found that intestinal bacteria may be an indicator of colon cancer risk.
William Depolo, an associate professor of medicine at the Washington School of Medicine, followed 40 patients who underwent routine colonoscopy and had a biopsy near tumors (or polyps, abnormal mucous membranes) near tumors to identify relatively high levels of bacteria.
All patients are between the ages of 50 and 75, 60% of whom are women.
The research team found that the bacterial Fragilis, a common bacterium, was elevated in the mucosal biopsy of patients with tumors.
The researchers also found unique microbial fingerprints that distinguished patients with tumors from patients without tumors, and they were able to determine the presence of B in the samples. Fragilis demonstrated an association between bacterial size and inflammation of small tumors.
On closer examination, B from non-tumor patients. B in patients with tumors compared with Fragilis. DiPavo and his team found that Fragilis differs in its ability to induce inflammation.
“The whole idea is that most people look at advanced colon cancer and think about the microbe, but if the microbe has changed, it’s hard to say when,” Dipolo said. “So we looked at the disease in advance and asked when the microbe might drive a tumor toward cancer.”
When people think about microbiology and its role in disease, they often think about the structural changes that dangerous bacteria take.
“What our data suggests is that living in an environment where metabolism and inflammatory changes occur, healthy gut and related bacteria can be modified to contribute to inflammation rather than blocking,” Dipolo explained.
He said only 5% of polyps in the colon actually turn into cancer. He noted that recurrent polyps appear in the same areas of the colon, and that new screenings for colon cancer could actually see the main bacteria living in the gut and the extent of this particular mutation. Bacteria before polyps develop into cancer.
The research team said the next step would be to expand the study to 200 patients to determine if a stool sample could be used as an alternative to a mucosal biopsy.
Source: Medical Express
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