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- The use of antibiotics has increased dramatically in recent years.
- New research indicates that increased use of antibiotics is linked to an increased risk of colon cancer, especially in people under the age of 50.
- The new data reinforces the need to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, which can put individuals at additional risk for health problems.
Antibiotics are extremely useful in the treatment of infections. However, scientists continue to learn about health problems resulting from the use and overuse of antibiotics.
The results of a new study, which were shared at the European Society of Medical Oncology’s World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer 2021, indicate that people, especially those under the age of 50, may be exposed to an increased risk of colon cancer due to the use of antibiotics.
This new information reinforces the importance of prudent antibiotic prescribing and potentially adds weight to the case for colon cancer screening in young people.
the
Also, antibiotics are not always necessary, as sometimes the body is able to ward off the infection on its own.
The unnecessary use of antibiotics is a growing concern nationally and internationally. In the United States, the
For example, people who take antibiotics are at risk of Clostridioides difficile infections and other types of infections resistant to antibiotics.
In addition, the
In order to balance these risks, healthcare professionals should avoid prescribing antibiotics that are not necessary treatment. Prescriptions of unnecessary antibiotics constitute at least
Dr Michael Woodworth, assistant professor of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, said Medical News Today:
“A major challenge in improving the use of antibiotics by healthcare providers is a biased understanding of the balance between potential benefits and ill-characterized risks. Improving the stewardship of our available antibiotics is an important global priority both to reduce the potential toxicities of antibiotics and the selective pressures for greater antibiotic resistance. “
Current information supports the prudent use of antibiotics, and researchers are still investigating other risks associated with their use.
The American Cancer Society notes that while skin cancers are excluded, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the United States.
Overall, the incidence of colorectal cancer has declined in recent years. However, the number of cases of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 64 has increased.
The prevalence of colorectal cancer in young people is a growing concern.
Recent data published in the journal
The emphasis on prevention and detection has to do with the health impact and death rates from colorectal cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.
People can reduce their likelihood of developing this type of cancer by avoiding certain
However, experts also associate colorectal cancer with non-modifiable risk factors, such as age, family history, genetics, or the presence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These are some of the reasons why early detection is crucial in reducing colorectal cancer mortality.
Certain predisposing factors for colorectal cancer remain unknown or are still being studied, such as this new association between the use of antibiotics and colon cancer. As researchers study new risk factors for colorectal cancer, screening will likely become even more critical.
The authors of the present study, which is a nested case-control study, collected data from patients in Scotland and analyzed cases of early and late-onset colorectal cancer.
They classified people under 50 as having early-onset colorectal cancer and those aged 50 or older as having late-onset colorectal cancer.
The researchers compared a total of 7,903 people with colorectal cancer with 30,418 people in the control groups. Of the study participants diagnosed with colorectal cancer, 445 were under the age of 50.
The researchers looked at the prescription of oral antibiotics and the length of antibiotic exposure in people with colorectal cancer and in matched control groups.
They found a link between the use of antibiotics and an increased risk of colon cancer in the categories of early and late onset.
The risk of colon cancer from antibiotic use varied between the early-onset and late-onset groups.
According to the study results that the researchers shared, people with late-onset colorectal cancer had an associated risk of 9%. The association was much higher in people with early-onset colorectal cancer, with an increased risk of almost 50%.
However, this risk was not associated with every type of antibiotic or every type of colorectal cancer. The researchers note that “[a]Among the two age groups, most classes of antibiotics were not significantly associated with cancer of the colon, rectum, or distal colon.
In the younger age group, the increased risk was linked to cancer found in the first part of the large intestine and the use of quinolones and sulfonamide / trimethoprim antibiotics.
Dr Woodworth pointed out that there could be several reasons for this and that more research will be needed:
“It may be that the antibiotics were prescribed for symptoms of a tumor that were wrongly attributed to an infection, that comorbid conditions, such as IBD, may have increased the likelihood of getting antibiotics and tumors. , or, as the authors suggest, a more direct negative effect. effect of antimicrobials on bacterial communities that might otherwise have helped protect against the development of cancer.
“More focused research would be needed to better understand whether antibiotics played a role in cancer or were simply associated with this study,” he added.
The study raises awareness of potential risk factors for colon cancer and encourages caution in the use of antibiotics. The study further points out that younger people are still at risk for colon cancer.
Although more research is needed in this area and the cause cannot be proven based on the nature of the study, the authors conclude:
“Our results suggest that antibiotics may play a role in the formation of colon tumors in all age groups, particularly in those under 50. It is possible that exposure to antibiotics may contribute to the observed increases in blood [early onset colorectal cancer], especially in the proximal colon.
“If confirmed, our study will provide further reasons to reduce frequent and unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions where possible.”
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