title: Case-control study of colorectal cancer and fecapentaene excretion.
abstract: The fecapentaenes are potent mutagens found in high concentrations in the stools of some individuals. These compounds are produced in vivo by common species of the colonic microflora, from precursors of unknown origin. The fecapentaenes have been postulated to increase the risk of colorectal cancer. To test this hypothesis, we measured fecapentaene excretion in 69 patients with adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum, newly diagnosed at three Washington, DC area hospitals. The cases were compared with 114 surgical controls, frequency matched to the cases on age, sex, and hospital. We attempted to measure fecapentaene excretion 4 times for each subject: before surgery; and at 1 mo; 3 mo; and 6 mo following surgery. Contrary to our study hypothesis, we found fecapentaene excretion during the four study periods to be similar or even lower in cases compared to controls. An indirect measurement of fecapentaene precursors also tended to be lower in cases. The case-control differences could not be explained as effects of bleeding or of the colorectal diagnostic workup, which was assessed in a separate group of 86 patients. We conclude from these data that the excretion of fecapentaenes does not increase the risk of colorectal cancer, at least when measured near the time of diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Etiology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Schiffman
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Van Tassell
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Hoover
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weil
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009153:Mutagens / Q000032:analysis*; D011090:Polyenes / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D011090:Polyenes; C037357:1-(1-glycero)dodeca-1,3,5,7,9-pentaene