Bacterium found could be behind bowel cancer

Potentially moving a step closer to establishing what’s behind bowel cancer, scientists suspect that the same type of bacterium associated with dental decay and skin ulcers may be to blame. The suspicion arose after two independent research teams found that the Fusobacterium bug was present in tumours.

It has not yet been established whether the bacterium might cause cancerous changes or whether the discovery is merely incidental, but hopes are high that a breakthrough discovery has been made.