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An evident association has been found between gut bacteria and colorectal cancer in a new study. The study discovered that the colorectal cancer patients have less beneficial bacteria and more harmful bacteria than people who are not suffering from the disease.

“Our findings are important because identification of these microbes may open the door for colorectal cancer prevention and treatment,” said Jiyoung Ahn, PhD, assistant professor of population health, and a member of NYU Cancer Institute, who led the study, in a press release.

Slew of bacterias are hosted by human gut. All those bacterias play an important role in regulating food digestion and inflammation. The evidences show that gut microbes are linked to colorectal cancer. Around 143,000 people in U.S. suffer from colorectal cancer every year.

Colorectal cancer kills an estimated of 51,000 people alone in United States. The reasons of developing colorectal cancer is still unknown.

DNA composition of intestinal microbes in the stool samples were tested of around 141 colorectal cancer patients as well as healthy volunteers. In their study they found that the samples from colorectal-cancer patients consists larger population of Fusobacteria than healthy volunteers. Fusobacteria is commonly found in the mouth and gastrointestinal track and are associated with gut inflammation.

“Our next step is to study how diet and lifestyle factors modulate these gut bacteria associated with colorectal cancer. This may lead to ways to prevent this disease” adde Dr. Ahn.

The study is published in journal of the National Cancer Institute.