Curiouser and Curiouser
Coming in at number 6 on our countdown of medical breakthroughs for 2011 is the link discovered between types of bacteria called Fusobacteria and colon cancer. This past October two research groups reported similar findings of this unusual bug that is found in our bodies, but seem to flourish in colon cancer cells, linking it to higher rates of this disease. In some samples extracted, hundreds of times more Fusobacteria were discovered in cancer cells than in healthy ones. Earlier studies have placed these bacteria as being associated with an increased risk of developing ulcerative colitis, (a condition where inflammation destroys the cells that line the colon) which can also increase a person`s chance of developing colon cancer. To assess your risk, talk to your health care professional and please visit:www.cancer.orgfor more information.