Unravelling the prognostic and operative role of intratumoural microbiota in non‐small cell lung cancer: Insights from 16S rRNA and RNA sequencing
2025

The Role of Microbiota in Lung Cancer Prognosis

Sample size: 30 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Fuling Mao, Zixuan Hu, Ruifeng Shi, Hongbing Zhang, Zihe Zhang, Yongwen Li, Xuanguang Li, Minghui Liu, Penghu Gao, Jinhui Li, Hongyu Liu, Jun Chen

Primary Institution: Tianjin Medical University General Hospital

Hypothesis

What is the impact of intratumoural microbiota on the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)?

Conclusion

Intratumoural microbiota significantly influence NSCLC prognosis, with certain microbial clusters associated with better or worse outcomes.

Supporting Evidence

  • Four phyla, five classes, nine orders, 17 families, and 36 genera were found to be associated with NSCLC prognosis.
  • A protective microbial cluster was identified that is associated with delayed disease recurrence.
  • A harmful microbial cluster was linked to shorter survival and earlier recurrence.
  • Peptococcus was identified as an independent, detrimental prognostic factor for NSCLC.

Takeaway

This study found that tiny living things called microbiota inside lung tumors can help doctors understand how well patients might do after treatment.

Methodology

The study used 16S rRNA and RNA sequencing on cancerous and adjacent normal tissues from 30 NSCLC patients to analyze microbial composition and its correlation with prognosis.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from the small sample size and the specific patient population studied.

Limitations

The study is limited by its small sample size and lack of external validation cohorts.

Participant Demographics

The study included 30 patients, predominantly male (23 males, 7 females), with a median age of 64 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1002/ctm2.70156

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