IF the issue of antibiotic resistance, which has been worrying the whole world of research and claiming victims for years, was not enough, now there is a second good reason to use these drugs in a rational way. And the second good reason is provided by a study published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute according to which those who have been treated with antibiotics for more than six months have a 17% higher risk of getting colon cancer in the next 5-10 years. The hypothesis is that the intestinal microbiome is involved, which, as already demonstrated in many published studies, under the effect of these drugs changes both in a qualitative and quantitative sense.
Antibiotics, excessive use alters the microbiome and increases the risk of colon cancer
by Tina Simoniello
Caution
“Although in many cases antibiotic therapy is necessary and saves lives, in the case of less serious problems that can still be treated in another way, it is necessary to be cautious – said Sophia Harlid researcher at the University’s Department of Radiological Sciences and Oncology. from Umea, Sweden, and lead author of the work. Mainly to prevent bacteria from developing resistance, but, as this study shows, also because antibiotics can increase the risk of having future colon cancer “.
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by Giuliano Aluffi
I study
The authors used data from 40,545 patients (21,458 men and 19,087 women) from the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry diagnosed with colorectal cancer between January 2010 and December 2016. Information on antibiotic use was obtained from the Swedish Registry. of drugs prescribed for the period 2005-2016. 20.8% of cancer cases and 19.3% of controls ((over 200,000 Swedes randomly selected in the population) had taken antibiotics for over 2 months. 36.5% of those who had fallen ill were diagnosed with proximal colon cancer, 29.3% distal colon cancer and 33% rectal cancer The mean age of diagnosis was 72 years and the mean duration of follow-up was 8 years.
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As the researchers expected, the increase in risk was higher among those who had taken more antibiotics: in detail it was 9% for moderate use of drugs (from 10 days to 2 months of therapy), and 17 % when the recruitment had exceeded six months. The most evident increase in the probability of getting sick was found in the ascending colon (14%). There was no additional risk for descending colon cancer, nor for the rectum. In particular in women (about 9%), an inverse association (a decrease in the risk of cancer) was observed between antibiotic therapy and rectal cancer.
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No alarm and the importance of screening
Having said this, the authors have tried to extinguish any alarmism: “There is absolutely no reason to be alarmed by the simple fact of having taken antibiotics”, given that “the increase in risk is moderate and that the risk for individuals is rather low “, clarified Harlid, who took the opportunity to recall the importance of screening for this form of cancer, in which” it is important to participate in order to detect the presence of any tumors and even to prevent them, when the precursors are identified (polyps, ed.) of colon cancer “.
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