A mystery rise in aggressive colon and stomach cancers may be partly fueled by bacteria, according to two new studies.
Experts have been baffled by the startling rise in tumors in the colon and rectum in past two decades, which are increasingly affecting young people.
Theories for the rise include the increase in the number of people with diets rich in junk food and climbing obesity rates. But now, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle have found that the Fusobacterium nucleatum, which lives in dental plaque, could explain why some colon tumors are so hard to treat.