Cancer Research and Treatment

Original Article

Gastrointestinal cancer

Fecal Microbial Dysbiosis Is Associated with Colorectal Cancer Risk in a Korean Population: Jeongseon Kim, Madhawa Gunathilake, Hyun Yang Yeo, Jae Hwan Oh, Byung Chang Kim, Nayoung Han, Bun Kim, Hyojin Pyun, Mi Young Lim, Young-Do Nam, Hee Jin Chang; Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(1):198-211. Published online July 26, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.382

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Purpose
The association between the fecal microbiota and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk has been suggested in epidemiologic studies. However, data from large-scale population-based studies are lacking.
Materials and Methods
In this case-control study, we recruited 283 CRC patients from the Center for Colorectal Cancer, National Cancer Center Hospital, Korea to perform 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal samples. A total of 283 age- and sex-matched healthy participants were selected from 890 cohort of healthy Koreans that are publicly available (PRJEB33905). The microbial dysbiosis index (MDI) was calculated based on the differentially abundant species. The association between MDI and CRC risk was observed using conditional logistic regression. Sparse Canonical Correlation Analysis was performed to integrate species data with microbial pathways obtained by PICRUSt2.
Results
There is a significant divergence of the microbial composition between CRC patients and controls (permutational multivariate analysis of variance p=0.001). Those who were in third tertile of the MDI showed a significantly increased risk of CRC in the total population (odds ratio [OR], 6.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.98 to 12.06; p-trend < 0.001) compared to those in the lowest tertile. Similar results were found for men (OR, 6.28; 95% CI, 3.04 to 12.98; p-trend < 0.001) and women (OR, 7.39; 95% CI, 3.10 to 17.63; p-trend < 0.001). Bacteroides coprocola and Bacteroides plebeius species and 12 metabolic pathways were interrelated in healthy controls that explain 91% covariation across samples.
Conclusion
Dysbiosis in the fecal microbiota may be associated with an increased risk of CRC. Due to the potentially modifiable nature of the gut microbiota, our findings may have implications for CRC prevention among Koreans.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Quantification of Naturally Occurring Prebiotics in Selected Foods
Arianna Natale, Federica Fiori, Federica Turati, Carlo La Vecchia, Maria Parpinel, Marta Rossi
Nutrients.2025; 17(4): 683. CrossRef

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