SHR # 2770:: Antibiotics and Colon Cancer; A Clear Link - Dr. Sophia Harlid Ph.D. - There is a clear link between taking antibiotics and an increased risk of developing colon cancer within the next five to ten years. This has been confirmed by researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, after a study of 40,000 cancer cases. The impact of antibiotics on the intestinal microbiome is thought to lie behind the increased risk of cancer.