AI Article Synopsis
- Cachexia, a condition linked to cancer and associated with a poor prognosis, accounts for about 20% of cancer-related deaths, yet the connection between Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) and cachexia in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear.
- In a study involving 87 CRC patients, researchers found that high levels of Fn in pre-surgical stool samples significantly increased the risk of developing cachexia six months after surgery.
- These results are the first to connect Fn abundance with cachexia in CRC, highlighting potential biological mechanisms and treatment avenues; however, the study's small sample size calls for more research to confirm these findings.
Article Abstract
Background: Cachexia accounts for about 20% of all cancer-related deaths and indicates poor prognosis. The impact of Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), a microbial risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC), on the development of cachexia in CRC has not been established.
Methods: We evaluated the association between Fn abundance in pre-surgical stool samples and onset of cachexia at 6 months post-surgery in n = 87 patients with stages I-III CRC in the ColoCare Study.
Results: High fecal Fn abundance compared to negative/low fecal Fn abundance was associated with 4-fold increased risk of cachexia onset at 6 months post-surgery (OR = 4.82, 95% CI = 1.15, 20.10, p = 0.03).
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that high fecal Fn abundance was associated with an increased risk of cachexia at 6 months post-surgery in CRC patients. This is the first study to link Fn abundance with cachexia in CRC patients, offering novel insights into biological mechanisms and potential management of cancer cachexia. Due to the small sample size, our results should be interpreted with caution. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to validate these findings.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11588854 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cam4.70431 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!