Oral Antibiotic Use in Adulthood and Risk of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer: A Case-Control Study.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Oncology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Rising incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) in individuals under 50.
• Prior studies on antibiotic use and EOCRC have yielded conflicting results.
• Need for robust investigation into potential risk factors for EOCRC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between oral antibiotic use in adulthood and EOCRC.
• To investigate this link within a large U.S. integrated healthcare system.
• To clarify the role of antibiotic exposure in the development of EOCRC.

Main Methods:

• Population-based nested case-control study.
• Involved 1359 EOCRC cases and 4711 matched healthy controls (ages 18-49).
• Assessed oral antibiotic exposure using pharmacy records from 1998-2020.

Main Results:

• No significant association was found between adult oral antibiotic use and EOCRC (aOR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.94-1.26).
• No associations observed for cumulative antibiotic dispensations or specific exposure periods.
• Findings remained consistent in adjusted and sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions:

• No conclusive evidence supports an association between adult oral antibiotic use and EOCRC risk.
• This large U.S. healthcare study did not identify oral antibiotics as a significant risk factor for EOCRC.
• Further research may be warranted to explore other potential contributors to EOCRC incidence.