New research has found that antibiotic use is linked to an increased risk of bowel (colon) cancer, but a lower risk of rectal cancer. This suggests that the risk of cancer, to some extent, may depend on the type and class of antibiotics prescribed.

The new study set out to investigate how the strong and long-lasting impact of antibiotics on the gut microbiome could affect bowel and rectal cancer risk. The gut microbiome is the balance of helpful and harmful bacteria in our gut.