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Fecal Bile Acids in Two Japanese Populations with Different Colon Cancer Risks¹

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 [H. F. M., R. M. R., R. S.]; Japan-Hawaii Cancer Study, Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 [G. N. S., A. N., G. A. G.]; and Department of Hygiene, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita, Japan [S. K., A. S., H. Y.]

Some workers have associated fecal bile acids with colon cancer frequency. They suggest that the risk for colon cancer increases with a rise in the level of total and degraded fecal bile acids. The Japanese in Hawaii, who are at high risk for this cancer, had higher concentrations of deoxycholic acid (a degraded bile acid) in their fecal specimens than did the people in Akita, Japan, who are at low risk. However, the findings for the other bile acids were unremarkable or inconsistent. These data were suggestive, but not strongly supportive, of a relationship between fecal bile acid patterns and colon cancer risk.

¹ Supported by Contracts N01-CP-33216 and N01-CP-23213 from the Biometry Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, and by the Cancer Center of Hawaii.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 4/13/78. Accepted 10/23/78.