Diarrhea as a Symptom of Colon Cancer

Bacteria that cause diarrhea may may have a connection to colon cancer, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins.

The bacteria, called Bacteroides fragilis  or ETBF seem to have the ability to "trick" the immune system into allowing tissue to become greatly inflamed. Such colon tissue inflammation can be a precursor of cancer.

The researchers discovered that ETBF uses tissue inflammation to cause colon cancer in a similar way that H. pylori bacteria causes stomach tumors.

Researchers used specially-bred mice in their experiments. The mice infected with ETBF developed diarrhea and got over it routinely. However, within a week inflammation and small tumours appeared in their colon.

One month later, the colons were pockmarked with tumours.

It is not known at this time whether standard antibiotics can eradicate the bacteria that causes the inflammation.    

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