π¬ Mouth bacteria link flagged for gut cancer π€―
A new index measuring mouth-to-feces bacterial transmission was found to be higher in GI cancer patients. Researchers in South Korea analyzed 507 participants, including 77 with gastric and 86 with colorectal cancer. The mean index was 2.6- to 3.0-fold higher in cancer patients versus healthy controls. This suggests a promising noninvasive alternative to standard fecal blood testing for screening. Future steps involve developing an easy-to-use oral-rinse test for early detection.