The oral microbiota in colorectal cancer is distinctive and predictive
Open accessAbstract
Background and aims: Microbiota alterations are linked with colorectal cancer (CRC) and notably higher abundance of putative oral bacteria on colonic tumours. However, it is not known if colonic mucosa-associated taxa are indeed orally derived, if such cases are a distinct subset of patients or if the oral microbiome is generally suitable for screening for CRC. Methods: We profiled the microbiota in oral swabs, colonic mucosae and stool from individuals with CRC (99 subjects), colorectal polyps (32) or controls (103). Results: Several oral taxa were differentially abundant in CRC compared with controls, for example, Streptococcus and Prevotella s pp. A classification model of oral swab microbiota distinguished individuals with CRC or polyps from controls (sensitivity: 53% (CRC)/67% (polyps); specificity: 96%). Combining the data from faecal microbiota and oral swab microbiota increased the sensitivity of this model to 76% (CRC)/88% (polyps). We detected similar bacterial networks in colonic microbiota and oral microbiota datasets comprising putative oral biofilm forming bacteria. While these taxa were more abundant in CRC, core networks between pathogenic, CRC-associated oral bacteria such as Peptostreptococcus , Parvimonas and Fusobacterium were also detected in healthy controls. High abundance of Lachnospiraceae was negatively associated with the colonisation of colonic tissue with oral-like bacterial networks suggesting a protective role for certain microbiota types against CRC, possibly by conferring colonisation resistance to CRC-associated oral taxa and possibly mediated through habitual diet. Conclusion: The heterogeneity of CRC may relate to microbiota types that either predispose or provide resistance to the disease, and profiling the oral microbiome may offer an alternative screen for detecting CRC.
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Enrichment of bacterial species from oral cavity is characteristic of CRC GOMS, along with enrichment in invasive polymicrobial bacterial biofilms in patients with right-sided tumours.
“The enrichment of bacterial species from the oral cavity is characteristic of the CRC GOMS50,76–79, along with an enrichment in invasive polymicrobial bacterial biofilms in patients with right-sided tumours76,80,81.”
From Gut OncoMicrobiome Signatures (GOMS) as next-generation biomarkers for cancer immunotherapy (2023) · cites this paper as [77]
Similar networks of oral bacteria were found in oral and colonic mucosal samples from individuals with colonic neoplasia and controls.
“Interestingly, similar networks of oral bacteria were found samples from oral and colonic mucosal surfaces of individuals with colonic neoplasia and controls.55”
From Influence of the Gut Microbiome, Diet, and Environment on Risk of Colorectal Cancer (2020) · cites this paper as [55]
Alterations to the oral and intestinal microbiomes might each contribute to colorectal carcinogenesis through microbe dissemination and induction of inflammation.
“So, alterations to the oral and intestinal microbiomes might each contribute to colorectal carcinogenesis, via microbe dissemination and induction of inflammation.54, 55, 59,60.”
From Influence of the Gut Microbiome, Diet, and Environment on Risk of Colorectal Cancer (2020) · cites this paper as [55]
Oral microbiome profiling identified several oral biofilm members with different abundances in colorectal cancer patients compared with controls, including Haemophilus, Parvimonas, Prevotella, Alloprevotella, Lachnoanaerobaculum, Neisseria, and Streptococcus.
“oral microbiome profiling studies identified several members of the oral biofilms with different abundances in patients with CRC compared with controls, including Haemophilus, Parvimonas, Prevotella, Alloprevotella, Lachnoanaerobaculum, Neisseria, and Streptococcus.54, 55”
From Influence of the Gut Microbiome, Diet, and Environment on Risk of Colorectal Cancer (2020) · cites this paper as [55]
Except for Prevotella, several common oral genera (Haemophilus, Neisseria, and Streptococcus) decreased in individuals with colitis-associated cancer.
“Veillonella, Streptococcus, Rothia and Aggregatibacter were dramatically increased in non-small cell lung cancer patients (Zhang W. et al., 2019) and, except for Prevotella, several common oral genera (i.e., Haemophilus, Neisseria and Streptococcus) decreased in individuals with colitis-associated cancer (Flemer et al., 2018).”
From Oral Microbiome and SARS-CoV-2: Beware of Lung Co-infection (2020) · cites this paper as Flemer et al., 2018
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- Authors
- Flemer, B., Warren, R. D., Barrett, M. P., Cisek, K., Das, A., Jeffery, I. B., Hurley, E., O‘Riordain, M., Shanahan, F., & O‘Toole, P. W.
- Affiliations
- National University of Ireland (IE)
- 4D Pharma Cork Ltd, Cork, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Institue, University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Cork, Ireland
- ORCID
- Venue
- Gut
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2017-10-07
- Volume
- 67
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1454-1463
- ISSN
- 0017-5749 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-3288
- PMC
- PMC6204958
- OpenAlex
- W2762906919
- Cited by
- 646
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 56 · 2025: 67 · 2024: 97 · 2023: 92 · 2022: 88 · 2021: 91 · 2020: 81 · 2019: 47 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 17.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- Gut (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Arrow@dit (Dublin Institute of Technology) (acceptedVersion)
- Cork Open Research Archive (University College Cork, Ireland) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Science Foundation Ireland
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Genetic factors in colorectal cancer
- Keywords
- colorectal cancer, oral microbiota, colonic mucosa, colorectal polyps, cancer screening, Streptococcus, Prevotella, Peptostreptococcus, Parvimonas, Fusobacterium, Lachnospiraceae, bacterial networks, colonization resistance, diet
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Colonic Polyps, Feces, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Mouth, Sensitivity and Specificity, Colorectal Neoplasms, Case-Control Studies, Microbiota
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