SynthesisInternational journal of colorectal disease2020
Is antibiotics use really associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer? An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
Synthesis in International journal of colorectal disease, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Antibiotics use and risk of colorectal neoplasia: An updated meta-analysis.International journal of colorectal disease · 2022Pooled it
- Proton pump inhibitors and the risk of colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.International journal of colorectal disease · 2020Pooled it
- Association between Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Use and Risk of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2026Article
- Why Is Colorectal Cancer Occurring Earlier? Metabolic Dysfunction, Underrecognized Carcinogens, and Emerging Controversies.Current obesity reports · 2026Review
- Bacteriophages, Antibiotics and Probiotics: Exploring the Microbial Battlefield of Colorectal Cancer.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Gut dysbiosis mediates the association between antibiotic exposure and chronic disease.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Review
- Article
- An evolutionary explanation for antibiotics' association with increased colon cancer risk.Evolution, medicine, and public health · 2022Article
- Use of antibiotics and colorectal cancer risk: a primary care nested case-control study in Belgium.BMJ open · 2021Article
- Risk factors for early-onset colorectal cancer: a population-based case-control study in Ontario, Canada.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2021Article
- Prediagnostic Antibody Responses toCancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2021Article
- A Significant Question in Cancer Risk and Therapy: Are Antibiotics Positive or Negative Effectors? Current Answers and Possible Alternatives.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe association between antibiotics and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk has drawn increasing attention but remains controversial. This study was performed to clarify the association.
methodsA systematic review and meta-analysis was performed on seven electronic databases. The pooled odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to estimate the association using the fixed-effects model or the random-effects model.
resultsTen studies that contained 4,853,289 participants were included in our study. We found that antibiotics use was associated with a higher risk of CRC (OR 1.09, 95%CI 1.02-1.17, I
conclusionIt needs attention that antibiotics use is associated with a higher risk of CRC, especially for colon cancer. Clinicians should be aware of the potential risk of CRC when prescribing anti-anaerobic antibiotics, penicillins, and quinolones in the future. Further studies are needed to assess any potential differences by tumor sites and class of antibiotics.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.