Dr. Sears on Bacteria Influencing Development of Colon Cancer

Cynthia L. Sears, MD, professor of Medicine, at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, member of the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, discusses bacteria possibly influencing the development of colon cancer.

There are 2 dichotomies in the field, Sears explains. The first is that a single bacteria may be critical to the pathogenesis of colon cancer. The second dichotomy is that a community of bacteria has changed to contribute to the development and progression of colon cancer.

At this point in the field, researchers do not know which idea is correct, says Sears. There are ongoing clinical trials, both with patients and mouse models, that are focused on examining these ideas.