Metagenomic Profiling of Oral Microbiome Dynamics During Chemoradiotherapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients.

ABSTRACT:

Background

We explored the interaction between the oral microbiome and the development of radiation-induced mucositis in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) undergoing chemoradiotherapy (CRT). We prospectively studied the oral microbiome and compared it to healthy controls. Additionally, we compared patients with low-grade (LGM) vs. high-grade mucositis (HGM).

Methods

Ten HNSCC patients scheduled for CRT were included. Saliva samples were characterized prior to, during, and nine months after CRT using metagenomic sequencing. We similarly characterized samples from seven healthy controls. We assessed alpha and beta diversity and examined abundances at different taxonomic levels between (sub)groups.

Results

Patients exhibited significantly reduced a

SUBMITTER: Torozan DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11725981 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature