Colon cancer is the most frequent in the general population in Spain. According to data from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), in 2023, 40,203 new diagnoses of this type of neoplasia were made in our country.
It is, however, a relatively preventable tumor. On the one hand, when precancerous lesions are detected in time (which is very possible if people undergo screening programs with colonoscopies), it is possible to remove them and prevent them from leading to the disease. On the other hand, it is known that it is highly influenced by various modifiable lifestyle factors.
Sleep disruptions and colorectal cancer
Now, a new work published in the magazine Science Advances wanted to explore the association between circadian rhythm disturbances and colon cancer, and has documented a mechanism by which phenomena such as lack of sleep can contribute to the risk of suffering from this type of tumor.
This conclusion is the result of a experiment carried out on animal models (mice) genetically modified and bred to have a predisposition both to the formation of colon tumors and to suffer interruptions of the circadian cycle. Studying their microbiome (the set of microorganisms that inhabited their intestine), they found that its diversity was reduced in mice predisposed to sleep interruptions, affecting the permeability of the intestine.
Researchers believe this could help raise levels of inflammation markers in the intestinewhich in turn would impact the progression of colorectal cancer.
Stress and tumors
On the other hand, it includes the informative portal Meducational news Todayanother group of scientists has found that chronic stress could also increase the risk of colon cancer through a similar pathway, which involves changes in the microbiome and an increase in inflammatory processes.
As these authors have presented in the United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2024the method used to study this relationship was the use of genetically modified mouse models. These were divided into different groups; one of them was exposed to chronic stress, and fecal transplants were performed from these to other mice. This last step ensured that any differences observed with healthy mice that had received fecal transplants from other healthy mice would be associated to changes in the microbiota of mice subjected to stress.
Indeed, this is what happened: the mice that had received fecal transplants from their conspecifics subjected to chronic stress, at the end of the experiment, showed a significantly higher tumor burden than those who received fecal transplants from healthy mice. According to these researchers, chronic stress, which is known to increase inflammation, could damage the microbiome, producing changes that, as we saw, could affect the tissues of the intestine.
Implications for prevention
These findings have several interesting implications. On the one hand, and although being carried out on animal models, the results of these studies are not immediately transferable to humans, they point to lack of sleep and chronic stress as possible modifiable risk factors for colon cancer in people.
On the other hand, both works point to inflammation as a key pathway in the changes in the microbiota that damage colon tissues, increasing the risk of cancer. Because of this, it is possible that both inflammation itself and changes in the intestinal microbiome could constitute preventive therapeutic targets and that acting on them can reduce the chances of suffering from the disease.
Finally, taking into account the increasing number of young people who report insomnia or find themselves in chronic stress situations, both factors could be contributing to the ascending trend of early-onset colorectal cancer cases.
References
Spanish Association Against Cancer (2024). Colon cancer. Consulted online at https://www.contraelcancer.es/es/todo-sobre-cancer/tipos-cancer/cancer-colon on October 14, 2024.
Rachel C. Fellows et al. ,Disruption of the intestinal clock drives dysbiosis and impaired barrier function in colorectal cancer. Science Advances (2024). DOI:10.1126/sciadv.ado1458
Hannah Flynn. Sleep, stress, and gut imbalances may impact colorectal cancer progression. Medical News Today (2024). Consulted online at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/sleep-stress-and-gut-imbalances-may-impact-colorectal-cancer-progression#How-stress-impacts-the-microbiome-and-promotes-cancer on October 14, 2024.
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