Oral microbiome linked to higher pancreatic cancer risk
Researchers at NYU Langone and NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center report in JAMA Oncology that specific bacteria and fungi in the mouth are associated with a substantially increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Using saliva from about 122,000 U.S. adults and comparing 445 future pancreatic-cancer patients with 445 controls over roughly nine years, investigators created a 27-species risk score tied to a 3.5-fold higher risk, suggesting oral-microbiome profiling could emerge as a noninvasive risk marker.
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🔍 Key Facts
- Study published in JAMA Oncology by NYU Langone and NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center researchers.
- Data: saliva from ~122,000 adults; 445 individuals who developed pancreatic cancer were compared with 445 cancer-free controls after ~9 years of follow-up.
- Finding: 27 oral microbial species (24 associated plus 3 previously linked to gum disease/pancreatic cancer) combined into a risk score; individuals with higher scores had a 3.5-fold increased risk.
- Public-health context: pancreatic cancer is highly lethal—2025 estimates cited ~67,440 U.S. diagnoses and ~51,980 deaths; authors note correlation not causation and call for further research.
- Clinical implication: authors propose oral-microbiome profiling as a potential noninvasive biomarker to identify people who might benefit from enhanced surveillance.