Changes in the gut microbiome could help distinguish individuals with healthy colons from those with either colorectal adenomas (polyps with a risk of becoming cancer) or colorectal cancer, according to results of two recent studies.
In the first study, Patrick Schloss, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the University of Michigan analyzed and compared the microbial DNA found in stool samples from three groups of participants: healthy individuals, individuals with colorectal adenomas, and patients with colorectal cancer.
The researchers identified distinct gut microbiome signatures for each group. When combined with other known clinical risk factors for colorectal cancer (e.g. older age, African American and American Indian/Alaskan Native race, high body mass index), the microbiome signatures were better able than risk factors alone to distinguish individuals with healthy colons from those bearing adenomas and carcinomas.
If corroborated in a larger study population, the authors wrote, the results suggest that non-invasive analysis of the microorganisms in the digestive tract could complement existing screening methods for colorectal cancer.
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In the second study, Peer Bork, Ph.D., of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and his colleagues utilized newer sequencing methods developed by the Human Microbiome Project to characterize microbial diversity in stool samples from patient groups from four different countries. As was the case in the first study, the researchers could distinguish people with colorectal cancer from healthy subjects based on differences in their microbiome.
Read full, original story: Analyzing the Gut Microbiome to Help Detect Colorectal Cancer
