The Gut Microbiome and Colon Polyps
The removal of adenomatous colon polyps, on colonoscopy, is designed to lower the risk of colorectal cancer, as they often contain precancerous cells. The study listed below has revealed differences between the microbiome and its metabolic products in those with and without adenomas. Those with adenomatous polyps were shown to have an environment that could influence the development of colorectal cancer.
This would imply that the terrain within the colon can contribute to adenomatous polyp formation and long-term colorectal cancer risk.
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Colorectal cancer, CRC, is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Earlier testing and the removal of polyps with abnormal cells are attempting to lower this risk through regular screening.
Colonoscopy is the gold standard for diagnosing colon pathology. One focus is finding and removing benign polyps, especially adenomas, that can harbor abnormal or dysplastic cells and later become cancer. This has become an important preventive strategy for CRC. However, with a history of adenomas, even with removal, a person remains at higher risk of CRC than those without adenomas.
In June 2026, in the Journal Cell Host and Microbe, Dr. Mingyang Song and associates studied the profile of stools from 354 women following adenoma resection and 184 controls. They compared their intestinal metabolites and microbiomes to assess observable variations in each of the groups' traits.
The study generated microbial classifications of the organisms in the adenoma cases versus the control group and found that, in the adenoma resection group, their microbiome aligned with those with colorectal cancer. It was also shown that among the 987 fecal metabolites, 30 were abundant in the adenoma group compared to controls, many of which are associated as markers of inflammation.
Their observations and conclusions suggest that specific microbes and their associated metabolites, in people with adenomas, are more than just the environment of the adenoma but could contribute to sustaining and shaping the metabolic environment that could influence the development of early colorectal cancer.
In integrative medicine, with this information, suggesting sophisticated stool analysis using polymerase chain reaction, PCR, is a method to amplify and detect specific genetic microbial presence. It can indicate and measure commensal or friendly microbes in the gut as well as potential and opportunistic pathogens. This then can provide directions for treatment to rebalance the microbiome and perhaps help establish a more balanced environment and reduce the microbial-metabolic risk associated with CRC.