Antibiotic Link to Rise in Early Onset Colon Cancer? By Liam Davenport July 12, 2021 -- Exposure to antibiotics appears to be associated with the development of colon cancer, particularly in younger people, and could be contributing to the increase in early onset colorectal cancer (CRC) that is being documented, say UK researchers. The team conducted study using data from primary care in Scotland, which involved almost 8,000 cases of CRC and over 30,000 healthy controls. The analysis suggests that a history of antibiotic use among individuals younger that 50 appeared to increase the risk of developing colon cancer (but not rectal) by 49%. "To our knowledge, this is the first study to link antibiotic use with the growing risk of early onset colon cancer, a disease which has been increasing at a rate of at least 3% per year over the last two decades," said study presenter Sarah Perrott, a medical student at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, U.K.