(Korin Miller/ Very Well Health) — Traditionally, colorectal cancer was a condition that mostly impacted older people. But it’s now the third leading cause of cancer deaths in young adults. The exact reason has puzzled researchers for years, but a new study suggests a surprising potential link: antibiotic use.
The study, which was published in the British Journal of Cancer, analyzed primary care data from 1999 to 2011 from nearly 40,000 people. The researchers specifically looked at antibiotic use and lifestyle factors of people who developed colorectal cancer and those who did not.
While overall cancer numbers were low (7,903 people developed colon cancer and 445 were under the age of 50), the researchers found that those under 50 who used antibiotics had a 50% higher risk of colon cancer than those who didn’t. Those who were 50 and over who used antibiotics had a 9% greater risk of developing colon cancer. The more people used antibiotics, the greater their risk. (…)