Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Oct 15, 2019; 11(10): 773-787
Published online Oct 15, 2019. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v11.i10.773
Race, the microbiome and colorectal cancer
Kendra J Royston, Babatunde Adedokun, Olufunmilayo I Olopade
Kendra J Royston, Olufunmilayo I Olopade, Division of Hematology Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
Babatunde Adedokun, Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics and Global Health Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
Author contributions: Royston KJ and Adedokun B contributed to the conceptualization of this review; Royston KJ and Adedokun B wrote this manuscript; Royston KJ, Adedokun B, and Olopade OI revised, edited, and approved the final version of this manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have indicated no conflict of interest related to the manuscript.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Kendra J Royston, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Hematology Oncology, University of Chicago, 900 E 57th Street, 8121B, Chicago, IL 60637, United States. kendraroyston@gmail.com
Telephone: +1-773-8346289
Received: March 14, 2019
Peer-review started: March 14, 2019
First decision: June 3, 2019
Revised: July 17, 2019
Accepted: July 26, 2019
Article in press: July 26, 2019
Published online: October 15, 2019
Processing time: 217 Days and 15.6 Hours
Abstract

In the past decade, more cancer researchers have begun to understand the significance of cancer prevention, which has prompted a shift in the increasing body of scientific literature. An area of fascination and great potential is the human microbiome. Recent studies suggest that the gut microbiota has significant roles in an individual’s ability to avoid cancer, with considerable focus on the gut microbiome and colorectal cancer. That in mind, racial disparities with regard to colorectal cancer treatment and prevention are generally understudied despite higher incidence and mortality rates among Non-Hispanic Blacks compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. A comprehension of ethnic differences with relation to colorectal cancer, dietary habits and the microbiome is a meritorious area of investigation. This review highlights literature that identifies and bridges the gap in understanding the role of the human microbiome in racial disparities across colorectal cancer. Herein, we explore the differences in the gut microbiota, common short chain fatty acids produced in abundance by microbes, and their association with racial differences in cancer acquisition.

Keywords: Diet; Epigenetics; Microbiome; Disparities; Colorectal; Colon; Cancer

Core tip: In this paper, we summarize the literature in relation to the gut microbiome and colorectal cancer. We provide unique perspectives and identify new areas of interest that will progress the field with relation to colorectal cancer disparities. This is significant because the comprehension of the microbiome is quickly becoming paramount for personalized medicine and combating disease progression.