Canadian researchers note progress in fighting colorectal cancer

Canadian researchers have discovered positive news in the fight against colorectal cancer, reporting for the first time that mice had reduced postoperative complications when the animals had modified intestinal flora prior to surgery. 

The Montreal-based researchers were able to pinpoint two bacterial strains that have a direct impact on whether intestinal leakage happens after surgery. 

The study was published in the journal Gut. 

According to a release from the University of Montreal, CHUM Research Centre scientists found that Parabacteroides goldsteinii kh 35 promoted healing attributes, while those mice with Alistipes onderdonkii kh 33 had a higher leakage rate. 

“The analysis of patients’ intestinal microbiota showed us that bacterial composition differed depending on the occurrence or not of intestinal leakage,” Roy Hajjar, a physician and author of the study, said in the release. “Once we transplanted these different microbiota profiles to mice, we found their risks of postoperative complications varied greatly. Simply put, the composition of the microbiota had a direct impact on their chances of recovery.”

As many as 30% of patients have experienced serious complications because of poor healing of their intestinal barrier after colorectal surgery. Some bacteria has been linked to the development of colorectal cancer, according to the release.

What these researchers have uncovered is a "promising start" to fighting the disease. Haijar believes making changes to a patient's intestinal flora a few days before surgery with prebiotics and probiotics could be the beginning for a new treatment plan. 

CHUM is currently working on additional research to pinpoint other bacteria that could either help with healing or lead to intestinal leakage. The release pointed out that more than 9,500 people die from colorectal cancer every year in Canada alone. In Canada, it’s the second leading cause of cancer death in adults.