TY - JOUR
T1 - Altered Bacteria Abundance Is Associated With Outcomes in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
AU - Sheehan, Delaney H.
AU - Asam, Kesava
AU - Knight, Nicolaus D.
AU - Patel, Juhi J.
AU - Stewart, James A.
AU - Molina, Patrick A.
AU - Yi, Nengjun
AU - Viet, Chi T.
AU - Aouizerat, Brad
AU - Silver, Natalie
AU - Panuganti, Bharat
AU - Thomas, Carissa M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.
PY - 2025/8
Y1 - 2025/8
N2 - Objective: To determine if microbiome differences exist in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) based on high-risk pathologic features, smoking, and outcomes using The Cancer Microbiome Atlas (TCMA). Study Design: Database study. Setting: Database review. Methods: TCMA is a publicly available database containing curated, decontaminated microbial profiles for tumors from 1772 patients. The data were limited to microbiome profiles, survival, and clinicopathologic features for HNSCC patients. Phyloseq objects were created, low-read samples were removed, and differential abundance analysis (DAA) using Analysis of Compositions of Microbiomes with Bias Correction 2 (ANCOM-BC2) was performed. Statistical analysis was done in R (v4.3.1). Results: One hundred fifty-six patients with HNSCC were included from TCMA with a mean age of 59 (std 13, min 19, and max 90), 72% male (n = 113), and 91% white (n = 140). Primary sites encompassed oral cavity (n = 106, 68%), oropharynx (n = 26, 17%), and larynx/hypopharynx (n = 24, 15%). For all HNSCC in TCMA, rates of lymphovascular invasion were 17% (n = 26), perineural invasion, 34% (n = 53), and microscopic or gross extranodal extension (ENE), 19% (n = 30). DAA revealed significant changes in bacterial genera based on high-risk pathologic features, smoking status, vital status, and disease-specific survival (DSS). Genera observed with ANCOM-BC2 include Scardovia, Alloscardovia, Lactobacillus, and Corynebacterium genera for vital status and DSS. Conclusion: Changes in the relative abundance of select intratumoral bacterial genera are associated with adverse pathologic features, DSS, and vital status in HNSCC. Shifts in the microbiome need further investigation to determine if they can provide any mechanistic insight or predictive role.
AB - Objective: To determine if microbiome differences exist in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) based on high-risk pathologic features, smoking, and outcomes using The Cancer Microbiome Atlas (TCMA). Study Design: Database study. Setting: Database review. Methods: TCMA is a publicly available database containing curated, decontaminated microbial profiles for tumors from 1772 patients. The data were limited to microbiome profiles, survival, and clinicopathologic features for HNSCC patients. Phyloseq objects were created, low-read samples were removed, and differential abundance analysis (DAA) using Analysis of Compositions of Microbiomes with Bias Correction 2 (ANCOM-BC2) was performed. Statistical analysis was done in R (v4.3.1). Results: One hundred fifty-six patients with HNSCC were included from TCMA with a mean age of 59 (std 13, min 19, and max 90), 72% male (n = 113), and 91% white (n = 140). Primary sites encompassed oral cavity (n = 106, 68%), oropharynx (n = 26, 17%), and larynx/hypopharynx (n = 24, 15%). For all HNSCC in TCMA, rates of lymphovascular invasion were 17% (n = 26), perineural invasion, 34% (n = 53), and microscopic or gross extranodal extension (ENE), 19% (n = 30). DAA revealed significant changes in bacterial genera based on high-risk pathologic features, smoking status, vital status, and disease-specific survival (DSS). Genera observed with ANCOM-BC2 include Scardovia, Alloscardovia, Lactobacillus, and Corynebacterium genera for vital status and DSS. Conclusion: Changes in the relative abundance of select intratumoral bacterial genera are associated with adverse pathologic features, DSS, and vital status in HNSCC. Shifts in the microbiome need further investigation to determine if they can provide any mechanistic insight or predictive role.
KW - The Cancer Microbiome Atlas
KW - disease-specific survival
KW - high-risk pathologic features
KW - intratumoral bacteria
KW - microbiome
KW - oral squamous cell carcinoma
KW - overall survival
KW - smoking
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105002725118
U2 - 10.1002/ohn.1262
DO - 10.1002/ohn.1262
M3 - Article
C2 - 40226967
AN - SCOPUS:105002725118
SN - 0194-5998
VL - 173
SP - 420
EP - 432
JO - Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
JF - Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
IS - 2
ER -