Oral Levels and Survival in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Is the oral microbiome a prognostic marker in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with (chemo)radiotherapy?This prognostic study of 92 patients with HNSCC from 2 prospective trials found that higher spp levels were associated with improved locoregional recurrence-free survival and overall survival, as well as having a favorable immune profile (eg, elevated levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes). Data analyzed from The Cancer Microbiome Atlas affirmed these findings, with higher intratumoral spp abundance also associated with longer overall survival in 157 patients.These findings indicate that salivary spp may serve as a prognostic biomarker for improving treatment outcomes in patients with HNSCC.

Corresponding Author: Alexander Rühle, MD, MHBA, Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical Center−University of Freiburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 3, 79106 Freiburg, Germany (alexander.ruehle@uniklinik-freiburg.de).

Link to the article in your story

We encourage you to link out to this article in your story using the link below. It includes an access token that will give free access to the article for your readers up to one year after publication. (The link will be live after the article publishes and embargo is lifted.)

Please see the article for additional information, including full author list, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Need more information? Contact us.