Antibiotics Increase Bowel Cancer Rates.

Antibiotics Increase Bowel Cancer Rates.When you take antibiotics, there are both short- and long-term risks, the latter of which may not become evident until long after you've stopped taking the drugs One of their greatest risks is also their mechanism of action: wiping out the bacteria in your gut. In 2014, researchers linked antibiotics use to a slightly increased risk (8 percent to 11 percent) of developing colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer, possibly because of alterations to the gut microbiome. Likewise, past research has also shown that people with less bacterial diversity in their gastrointestinal tracts are more likely to develop colon cancer.The latest research further suggests altering your microbiome via antibiotics also reduces your resistance to bacteria that could increase the development of precancerous growths in your colon, known as polyps. Colon polyps are small masses of cells that can develop on the lining of your colon. While typically harmless, colon polyps can be precursors to colorectal cancer, which includes both cancers of the colon and rectum, and may lead to cancer development if left untreated. New research, published in the journal Gut, used data from more than 16,600 women aged 60 years and older, spanning 2004 to 2010. Women who had used antibiotics for two months or more were at an increased risk of developing colon polyps continue