Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks among the most prevalent malignant tumors worldwide, with a multifactorial etiology encompassing genetic, environmental, and life-style factors, as well as the intestinal microbiota and its metabolome. These risk factors often work together in specific groups of patients, influencing how CRC develops and progresses. Importantly, alterations in the gut microbiota act as a critical nexus in this interplay, significantly affecting susceptibility to CRC. This review highlights recent insights into unmodifiable and modifiable risk factors for CRC and how they might interact with the gut microbiota and its metabolome. Understanding the mechanisms of these interactions will help us develop targeted, precision-medicine strategies that can adjust the composition of the gut microbiota to meet individual health needs, preventing or treating CRC more effectively.

MeSH

Genetics, Neoplasms, Colon, Diet, Clinical Medicine, Carcinogenesis, Risk Factors, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Microbiota

Cited by

• Gut microbiota and metabolome signatures in obese and normal-weight patients with colorectal tumors. iScience, 2025
• The burden of colorectal cancer attributable to diet low in whole grains from 1990 to 2021: a global, regional and national analysis. Front Nutr, 2025
• Study of Microbiota Associated to Early Tumors Can Shed Light on Colon Carcinogenesis. Int J Mol Sci, 2025