By Admin at 19 Sep 2015, 14:07 PM

Colorectal Cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer in both men and women and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Current guidelines indicate that people with an average risk for colorectal cancer, should start getting screened at age 50.

A colonoscopy remains the “gold” standard for screening, as it provides the best view of your entire colon and is typically done every 10 years for average-risk people. Sometimes stool testing is also recommended, although this is typically to check for blood or abnormal DNA in your feces.

Now researchers have uncovered another potential screening tool for colon cancer based on the bacteria in your gut. “Abnormalities in the gut microbiome have been reported in patients with colorectal cancer; however, this microbial community has not been explored as a potential screen for early-stage disease,” the researchers wrote.

So, they collected stool samples from 30 people with precancerous intestinal polyps, 30 people with advanced colon or rectal cancer, and 30 healthy people and assessed their composition of gut bacteria, or gut microbiome.

Distinct differences were indeed detected, with “both an enrichment and depletion of several bacterial populations” in patients with cancer. When the results were combined with an analysis of precancerous-polyp risk factors, such as age and race, it lead to a 4.5-fold improvement in prediction of precancerous polyps.

When colon-cancer risk factors, including age, race and body mass index, were added, it lead to a more than five-fold improved prediction of colon cancer. Further, the microbiome test was better than the currently-offered fecal occult blood test at revealing whether a person had invasive cancer or pre-cancerous polyps.

The researchers believe their results could lead to a new non-invasive stool test that could effectively screen for colon cancer and even pre-cancerous lesions:

“Taken together, the results of our study demonstrate the feasibility of using the composition of the gut microbiome to detect the presence of precancerous and cancerous lesions.”

Research shows that if your digestive system is overrun by bad bacteria, it may increase your risk of colon cancer by generating waste products that harm colon tissues and make them more vulnerable to malignancies.5 Researchers say it's possible that adenomas, benign tumors that may serve as a warning sign of colon cancer, could be triggering the production of bad bacteria too.

In addition to limiting your consumption of sugar, which feed bad bacteria, you can help optimize your gut bacteria by consuming probiotics. These are available naturally in fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, and traditionally made sauerkraut, as well as in high-quality supplement form. The following tips to optimize your colon health are also important:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day
• Limit your consumption of sugar and refined grains
• Limit alcohol (no more than 2 drinks a day for men, 1 for women)
• Don’t smoke
• Consider a natural detox to help your body rid itself of toxins while giving your body a chance to repair.

Sources:

Cancer Prevention Research
U.S. News & World Report

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