Taking antibiotics for more than two weeks increases your risk of bowel cancer by 73 per cent

Taking antibiotics for 15 days or longer may increase your risk of developing bowel cancer by a massive 73 per cent. Scientists have found long-term antibiotic use increases the risk of developing bowel polyps. Polyps are small growths on the lining of the bowel that can become cancerous. Taking the drugs in your forties and fifties was found to increase the risk more than in your twenties or thirties.  This may add to the theory that our gut bacteria plays a critical role in our cancer risk. Although antibiotics are typically only prescribed for up to seven days, conditions including acne and tuberculosis may require long-term treatment.
Published in the journal Gut, scientists analysed data from over 16,000 women aged over 60. They found taking antibiotics for at least 15 days between the ages of 20 and 39, and 40 and 59 vastly increased the risk of developing polyps compared to non-antibiotic users.  Just two months of antibiotic use between the ages of 20 and 39 increased the womens' polyp risk by 36 per cent. While women taking the drugs in their forties or fifties had a 69 per cent higher risk over non-users.
It is unclear why older women are more at risk than those in their twenties or thirties.
Antibiotic use within the past four years was not associated with a raised polyp risk.
These findings suggest antibiotic use may need to be limited, according to the scientists.   Yet, they stress that further investigation is needed and people should not stop taking their antibiotics for the time being. It's also unclear how many of these polyps became cancerous, the scientists said.
Dr Sheena Cruickshank, immunology expert, the University of Manchester said: 'Antibiotics are crucial medicines for treating bacterial infections and, if prescribed and used appropriately, can be life-saving,' the BBC reported.