ArticleBMJ open2021
Use of antibiotics and colorectal cancer risk: a primary care nested case-control study in Belgium.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of antibiotic exposure on risks of colorectal tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of translational medicine · 2025Pooled it
- A GWAS Suggesting Genetic Modifiers to Increase the Risk of Colorectal Cancer from Antibiotic Use.Cancers · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo examine the association between the use of oral antibiotics and subsequent colorectal cancer risk.
designMatched case-control study.
settingGeneral practice centres participating in the Integrated Computerised Network database in Flanders, Belgium.
participantsIn total, 1705 cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed between 01 January 2010 and 31 December 2015 were matched to 6749 controls by age, sex, comorbidity and general practice centre. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: The association between the number of prescriptions for oral antibiotics and the incidence of colorectal cancer over a period of 1-10 years, estimated by a conditional logistic regression model.
resultsA significantly increased risk of colorectal cancer (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.44) was found in subjects with one or more prescriptions compared with those with none after correction for diabetes mellitus. No dose-response relationship was found.
conclusionsThis study resulted in a modestly higher risk of having colorectal cancer diagnosed after antibiotic exposure. The main limitation was missing data on known risk factors, in particular smoking behaviour. This study did not allow us to examine the causality of the relationship, indicating the need of further investigation.
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