Immune Netw.
2020 Aug;20(4):e30. 10.4110/in.2020.20.e30.
The Link between Fusobacteria and Colon Cancer: a Fulminant Example and Review of the Evidence
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Medicine, Denver Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- 2Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- 3Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- 4Pulmonary Section, Medicine Service, Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- 5Department of Medicine and Office of Academic Affairs, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO 80206, USA
- 6Department of Pathology, Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- KMID: 2505669
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.4110/in.2020.20.e30
Abstract
- Systemic infections due to Fusobacterium may originate in the tonsillar/internal jugular veins or from the abdomen. We encountered a patient who presented with bacteremia, fulminant septic shock, and extensive soft tissue pyogenic infection due to Fusobacterium necrophorum. In addition, there was widespread metastatic colon cancer with the unique finding of premortem co-localization of F. necrophorum and cancer cells at a site distant from the colon. We reviewed the literature of the association of F. necrophorum and colon cancer, and discuss the evidence of how each of these 2 distinct entities may mutually augment the development or progression of the other.
