Prevalence of Blastocystis infection in patients with colorectal cancer in Taiwan

Blastocystis sp., an understudied intestinal protozoan associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, has an unclear role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Despite available international data, the epidemiology of Blastocystis infection in Taiwanese CRC patients has not been established. In this study, we investigated its prevalence by analyzing samples from 56 CRC patients at National Cheng Kung University Hospital from August 2021 to July 2022. The cohort consisted of 32 males (57.1%) and 24 females (42.9%) with a mean age of 62.2 ± 10.4 years. We found the overall prevalence of Blastocystis sp. to be 28.6%, with males exhibiting a higher rate. Notably, the infection was detected across all stages and grades of CRC within our study group.