Colon cancer might be a matter of gut ecology. We all have billions of bacteria living in our intestines. For the most part, when we have enough good bacteria they work hard for us. But scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found a link between bad bacteria and the risk of colon polyps and colon cancer. The samples taken from people undergoing colonoscopies showed that people with adenomas were more likely to have Proteobacteria living in their digestive tracts. The investigators suggest that this work may lead to new ways to detect and possibly prevent colon cancer.
[Gut Microbes, May/June, 2010]
The People's Perspective on Medicine