Colorectal Tumors Exacerbated By Mouth Microbes

“The Mouth microbes called fusobacteria may use the bloodstream to reach and worsen colorectal tumors through a special sugar-binding protein, study finds.”

“Fusobacteria, most commonly found in the mouth, use a sugar-binding protein to stick to developing colorectal polyps and cancers.
Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States when men and women are considered separately, and the second leading cause when both sexes are combined. While the death rate from colorectal cancer has decreased in both males and females – due to colorectal polyps being found by screening and removed before they can develop into cancer – not enough people are getting screened for colorectal cancer. In 2014, 65.7 percent of U.S. adults were up-to-date with colorectal cancer screening; 7 percent had been screened, but were not up-to-date, and 27.3 percent had never been screened.”

“Previous studies by the Garrett Lab at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA, have shown fusobacteria to promote the formation of colorectal tumors and exacerbate colorectal cancer in animals. Also, they found that fusobacteria are enriched in human colorectal tissue when compared with neighboring healthy tissue.”

Read the full article: Colorectal tumors exacerbated by mouth microbes