In recent years

the incidence of colorectal cancer in China has been increasing year on year

with the incidence of the disease tending to be younger and colorectal cancer is considered to be an obesity-related cancer. This is due to modern research demonstrating that adipose tissue is not only a storehouse of excess calories

but also an active endocrine and metabolic organ. As part of the tumor microenvironment

fatty acid metabolism may affect tumor tissue in terms of tumor-related inflammatory responses

hypoxic environment and gut microbes. The abnormal metabolism of fatty acids is thought to be a metabolic feature of malignant tumors such as colorectal cancer

while some other metabolic pathways may be potential specific targets for colorectal cancer therapy. The relationship between fatty acid metabolism and colorectal carcinogenesis and progression

as well as the interaction with the tumor microenvironment

is the focus of research. Medical imaging

on the other hand

can help researchers to observe fatty acid metabolism in humans. This paper summarized the fatty acid metabolism related to colorectal cancer tumor microenvironment and introduced the progress of fatty acid metabolism imaging.