Causes of Colon Cancer

Opium-based drugs and alcohol abuse as well as poor oral health are the main causes of colon cancer in the country, said Dr Reza Malekzadeh, director of Digestive Research Institute at Shariati Hospital, Tehran and a board member of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Mouth bacteria that cause bleeding gums can travel via the blood to the bowel where they could trigger cancer or worsen existing tumors, he explained, salamatnews.com reported. Opium causes colon cancer as it can negatively affect bowel movement. “Unfortunately, 10-18% of Iranians over the age of 40, use opium regularly,” he noted. The 16th Iranian International Congress of Gastroenterology and Hepatology will be held November 9-11 in Tehran, he added.