Study Links Common Weed Killer to Early-Onset Colon Cancer
A recent study led by José A. Seoane from the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology has identified a potential link between the pesticide picloram and early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC). The research, published in Nature Medicine, analyzed DNA methylation patterns to explore environmental and lifestyle exposures, known as the exposome, in patients under 50. The study found significant epigenetic differences associated with diet, smoking, and pesticide exposure, particularly picloram. This herbicide, used since the 1960s, may contribute to the rising incidence of EOCRC, which is now a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in young adults in the U.S. 
