Overview
This clinical trial tests whether daily fiber supplementation will change the mucosal microbiome of the colon. The microbiome are microorganisms that live in the human gut. They serve a vital role in maintaining health. Certain microbial strains are associated with the growth of colon polyps, which eventually could go on to form colon cancer. Giving dietary fiber supplements may help prevent precancerous polyps from ever developing.
Description
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
I. To identify how diet, specifically fiber supplementation, alters the microbiome of the colonic mucosa.
- OUTLINE
Patients receive dietary fiber orally (PO) on study. Patients undergo proctoscopy or anoscopy with biopsy on study and during follow-up.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age >= 18 years
- Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
- Patients who present with a chief complaint of a benign anorectal pathology including hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and anal fistulas without underlying conditions such as cancer or Crohn's disease
- Patients who had a colonoscopy within the past 2 years
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients with an active malignancy, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and immunosuppressed patients.
- Patients with hereditary colon cancer syndrome including Lynch syndrome or Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)
- Patients with a prior history of total or partial colon resection.
- Colorectal pathology such as polyps or cancer