Microbiome signatures linked to cancer and treatment adverse events in a real-world cohort
https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(26)01078-0
Distinct gut microbiome patterns found in five cancer groups and in early-onset cancers
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-distinct-gut-microbiome-patterns-cancer.html
"Among younger patients, those with colorectal cancer had higher lactate levels and more Veillonella parvula, a gut bacterium that feeds on lactate. Early-onset breast cancer showed changes across 64 bacterial species and lower levels of primary bile acids.
The findings come from the Mayo Clinic Cancer Microbiome cohort, a real-world study that recruited patients with cancer at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, representing 40 states. Stool samples were collected before treatment began and linked to detailed clinical data on side effects and outcomes. The samples provide a window into the gut microbiome, the trillions of microbes living in the digestive tract.
Cancer-specific microbiome patterns emerge
Researchers compared patients with cancer with 287 people without it to identify broad microbiome differences. Comparisons across cancers then revealed more specific signals. After accounting for other health conditions, researchers pinpointed 341 bacterial species associated with five cancer groups.
Among those, neuroendocrine tumors showed a broad loss of common health-associated gut bacteria. Liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancers had higher levels of several bacteria, including Enterococcus faecalis. Esophageal cancer had higher levels of six species, including Streptococcus bacteria. Distinct links were also found in lymphoid leukemia, multiple myeloma and related plasma cell cancers."
MICROBIOME AS A DETERMINANT OF CANCER OUTCOMES