Recent research suggests that exposure to a toxin produced by certain strains of E. coli during childhood may be increasing colorectal cancer rates in individuals under 50 globally. Analysis of tumors from 11 countries found that early-onset bowel cancers show a higher prevalence of specific genetic mutations linked to colibactin, a toxin from harmful E. coli. The study highlights rising colorectal cancer incidences in younger adults in multiple countries, emphasizing the need to investigate childhood exposures as potential risk factors for cancer development later in life.
We think what we're seeing is an infection in early life that subsequently increases one's risk for developing colorectal cancer in the future.
The same signature mutations were also more common in countries with the highest rates of early-onset bowel cancer, according to the study, which has been published in Nature.
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