Scientists have discovered that a common type of bacteria has two distinct subspecies. One of them protects tumor cells from anti-cancer treatments.
This discovery could pave the way to new treatments and possibly other detection methods. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. and is expected to kill more than 53,000 people in the country in 2024, according to the American Cancer Society. It is too early to implicate this bacteria in the increase in cases in young people.