Simple mouth rinse may help detect stomach and colorectal cancer signals
It's widely understood that the microbiome—especially microbes found in the mouth and the gut—can have a profound effect on health. In a study published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe on Aug. 20, researchers report that by analyzing the makeup of oral microbes, they may be able to detect signals associated with gastric (stomach) and colorectal cancer. These findings could lead to the…
A study published in Cell Host & Microbe on August 20 reveals that analyzing the makeup of oral microbes may help detect signs of gastric and colorectal cancer. Researchers from Yonsei University in Seoul recruited 507 volunteers, including healthy individuals, people with metabolic disorders, and those with gastric or colorectal cancer.
By comparing oral and fecal samples, they created an index called mouth-to-feces (MF) to measure the presence of identical microbial sequence variants in both locations. The analysis showed that the MF index was significantly higher in patients with gastric or colorectal cancer compared to healthy individuals and those with metabolic disorders.
This suggests that oral microbes may be present in the gut of cancer patients and could potentially serve as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for gastrointestinal cancers. The researchers plan to validate their findings in a prospective screening population and develop a simple oral rinse test for clinical use.
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