Poor Dietary Choices May Increase Risk of Colorectal Cancer: Study Finds - Video

Colorectal cancer may be fueled by the food on our plates. Researchers at the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute have uncovered a potential link between the Western diet – dominated by ultra-processed foods and unhealthy oils – and the chronic inflammation that drives tumor growth.

The researchers have already made major advancements in the understanding of colorectal cancer. The project’s first study examines how processed foods are likely hindering the body’s natural healing processes. Their findings were published in

Gut.

While the molecules are difficult to detect, researchers used a highly sensitive analytical technique to identify trace amounts of lipids in 162 tumor samples from patients at Tampa General Hospital. The tumors were frozen within 30 minutes of removal and transported to the lab.

Inside the tumors, the team observed an excess number of molecules that promote inflammation and a shortage of those that help resolve it and promote healing. These findings pave the way for a new, natural approach -- resolution medicine -- which focuses on restoring balance in the patient’s diet to treat colorectal cancer more effectively.

Reference: Soundararajan R, Maurin MM, Rodriguez-Silva J, et al Integration of lipidomics with targeted, single cell, and spatial transcriptomics defines an unresolved pro-inflammatory state in colon cancer. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2024-332535