Antibiotic exposure was associated with higher odds of colorectal tumors
A pooled review compared people who had used antibiotics with those who had not. It found an association, without establishing a cause.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Across the included studies, antibiotic use was associated with higher odds of tumors in the colon or rectum. The review included both noncancerous and cancerous growths. This result does not establish that antibiotics caused tumors, and the abstract provides no absolute likelihood of developing a tumor for either group.
The abstract does not describe the included study designs, follow-up periods or adjustment for other influences. These omissions limit interpretation of the exposure association.
What researchers found
Colon and rectal tumor occurrence
Antibiotic use versus no use: pooled odds ratio 1.13 (95% confidence interval 1.04–1.22). Follow-up duration was not reported in the abstract.
Reading the statistic
An odds ratio compares the odds of an outcome between groups. It does not directly state the difference in their probabilities, so this estimate should not be presented as a percentage increase in tumor risk.
What the review tested
The analysis combined studies of antibiotic exposure and later tumor occurrence. Although the authors discuss gut microbes as a possible explanation, the reported findings do not demonstrate that a microbiome change caused these tumors.
The original publication
Effects of antibiotic exposure on risks of colorectal tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Liu YC, Tang XY, Lang JX et al.
J Transl Med · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40533779
- Record checked
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