Warning of a link between antibiotics and bowel cancer in young people
Scientists are looking into a worrying case related to the high incidence of bowel cancer among young people during the past few years, and scientists believe that the use of antibiotics may be the underlying reason behind this trend, as a study found that taking antibiotics can increase the risk of bowel cancer by up to by half (50%) in their fifties.
Antibiotic use was also associated with an estimated 9% risk of colon cancer in those 50 and older.
"We found that exposure to antibiotics was associated with colon cancer among all age groups," said Sarah Perrault, from the University of Aberdeen and first author on the study.
This, along with many other factors related to diet and lifestyle, may contribute to the increase in colon cancer cases among young people.”
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"The use of antibiotics is very common, and it is important to note that not everyone who uses antibiotics will develop bowel cancer," she added.
Dr. Leslie Samuel, senior author and consultant oncologist at the NHS Grampian, said doctors are seeing more patients under the age of 50 with bowel cancer.
Many of them do not anticipate risk factors such as heavy alcohol consumption or diabetes.”
"The gut microbiome includes a delicate balance of bacteria and disruption to that, whether it's from lifestyle factors or from frequent use of antibiotics as seen here, can have very serious consequences," Dr. Samuel noted.
Scientists from the University of Aberdeen, the NHS Grampian Center and Queen's University Belfast were unable to quantify the amount of antibiotic use associated with the development of bowel cancer.
Beirut said the risk appeared to be the same after simple exposure to antibiotics.
The researchers believe the link exists because the antibiotics strip the gut of healthy bacteria, which then interfere with normal immune function.
This can lead to chronic inflammation and, in theory, increase the risk of cancer.
Beirut explained that antibiotics have a “damaging effect on the gut microbiota” and can lead to “permanent changes to the normal gut environment.”
"It's important to note that diet, lifestyle, stress and many different factors can affect gut health, and antibiotic use is just one of those factors," she said.
The study indicates that antibiotics are not carcinogenic, but rather changes in the gut flora that occur after their use, Medical News Today reported.
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