Scientists from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in the United States have discovered that Fusobacterium nucleatum bacteria living in the oral cavity can move into the intestines and trigger the formation of aggressive tumors. Research results published In the journal Nature.
During the study, scientists examined tumor tissue samples from 200 patients with colorectal cancer. They then analyzed the bacterial composition of the stool of people with and without colon cancer. It turns out that in cases of colon cancer, bacteria of a certain subtype are found more often in tumor structures.
In particular, the presence of Fusobacterium nucleatum has been associated with the development of aggressive forms of colorectal cancer. People with colorectal tumors containing Fusobacterium nucleatum (about 50% of cases) appeared to have lower survival rates and a worse prognosis for treatment compared with patients who did not carry this bacteria.
Scientists stated that Fusobacterium nucleatum lives in the oral and nasal cavities of humans. The type of bacteria that invades tumors has special genetic abilities that allow it to move into the stomach and intestines without being killed by stomach acid. When these bacteria reach the colon, they can trigger the formation of dangerous, rapidly growing tumors.
Previously named First symptoms of salivary gland cancer.