Scientists May Have Figured Out Why Young People Are Getting Colorectal Cancer More Often

A common bacteria in our gut might be stirring up more trouble than we knew. A study out this week has found evidence that a mutagenic toxin produced by some strains of Escherichia coli can trigger early onset colorectal cancer. Scientists at the University of California, San Diego led the research, published Wednesday in Nature. They found a link between exposure to the toxin, called colibactin, and colorectal cancers more likely to happen in young adults. The findings could help explain why the rate of early onset colorectal cancer has mysteriously risen in recent years, though more research is needed to confirm a causative connection, the researchers say. Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer, with roughly 150,000 Americans diagnosed with it every year. It’s also the second most leading cause of death by cancer, killing around 50,000 Americans annually. As with many types of cancer, the incidence and death rate of colorectal cancer has been steadily declining over ti ... Read full article.