Head and neck cancer, predominantly squamous cell carcinoma, has emerged as a significant global health concern. Growing evidence has established a strong association between dysbiosis of the oral microbiota and both oral and systemic diseases. However, the association between the oral microbiota and head and neck cancer has not yet been fully described. This study aimed to investigate the distinct profiles of the oral microbiota in patients with head and neck cancer and their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for head and neck cancer. Comparative analyses revealed that compared to controls, the oral microbiota of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) exhibited an increased abundance of anaerobic, biofilm-forming bacteria, and potential pathogens. A machine learning model successfully differentiated HNSCC patients from controls with an area under the curve of 0.902. Key features of this model, such as Peptostreptococcus and Capnocytophaga, were found to be candidate biomarkers for HNSCC, with certain taxa, such as Abiotrophia, serving as prognostic indicators. Although pronounced differences in oral microbiota among HNSCC patients primarily resulted from inter-individual variations, distinct community types were identified, with the type dominated by Proteobacteria being associated with the lowest probability of survival. Our findings indicate that the oral microbiota may predict HNSCC and may act as a therapeutic target to improve the prognosis of HNSCC. This investigation underscores the crucial role of oral microbial dysbiosis in the etiopathogenesis and clinical prognosis of HNSCC, making a case for further integrative metagenomic and clinical research.
Sung et al. (Tue,) studied this question.