Breast tissue, oral and urinary microbiomes in breast cancer Original paper
Researched by:
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Dr. Umar
ID
Dr. Umar
Read MoreClinical Pharmacist and Clinical Pharmacy Master’s candidate focused on antibiotic stewardship, AI-driven pharmacy practice, and research that strengthens safe and effective medication use. Experience spans digital health research with Bloomsbury Health (London), pharmacovigilance in patient support programs, and behavioral approaches to mental health care. Published work includes studies on antibiotic use and awareness, AI applications in medicine, postpartum depression management, and patient safety reporting. Developer of an AI-based clinical decision support system designed to enhance antimicrobial stewardship and optimize therapeutic outcomes.
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Dr. Umar
Read More
Researched by:
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Dr. Umar
ID
Dr. Umar
Read More
Microbiome Signatures identifies and validates condition-specific microbiome shifts and interventions to accelerate clinical translation. Our multidisciplinary team supports clinicians, researchers, and innovators in turning microbiome science into actionable medicine.
Divine Aleru
Location
United States of America
Sample Site
Urine
Species
Homo sapiens
What was studied?
The study investigated the breast tissue, oral, and urinary microbiomes in women with and without breast cancer, generating a combined microbial signature across three body sites. This work aimed to identify whether distinctive patterns—particularly in breast tissue and urine—could serve as microbial markers of breast cancer. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, the researchers compared microbiome structure, diversity, and taxonomic shifts. A critical finding relevant to a microbial signatures database is the reduced abundance of Methylobacterium in cancerous breast tissue and elevated gram-positive genera—including Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Actinomyces, and Propionibacteriaceae—in the urine of women with breast cancer. These shifts suggest that the breast cancer microbiome signature may include a localized depletion of certain Proteobacteria and a systemic pattern of increased gram-positive organisms detectable in urine.
Who was studied?
The research included 57 women with invasive breast cancer undergoing mastectomy and 21 healthy controls undergoing cosmetic breast surgery. Both groups provided breast tissue, oral rinse, and urine samples, although not all sample types were available for every participant. Cancer patients were older on average and differed in BMI, menopausal status, and race compared with controls, factors accounted for during analysis. The study captured a broad clinical spectrum of breast cancer, incorporating tumor subtype, hormone receptor status, HER2 amplification, and histologic features.
Most important findings
The breast tissue microbiome differed significantly between cancer and non-cancer groups, driven primarily by a decrease in Methylobacterium in cancer patients (median 0.10 vs. 0.24). This depletion was most pronounced in tumor tissue and was associated with hormone receptor–positive tumors and lymphovascular invasion. Oral rinse samples showed no notable cancer-related differences, likely due to high environmental influence. Urinary microbiomes displayed strong menopausal patterns—especially loss of Lactobacillus post-menopause—but cancer patients consistently exhibited increased Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Actinomyces, and Propionibacteriaceae independent of age, BMI, and menopausal status.
A subset of key cancer-associated shifts is provided below:
| Body Site | Increased in Cancer | Decreased in Cancer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast Tissue | Alcaligenaceae | Methylobacterium | Localized depletion within tumor tissue; low biomass site. |
| Urine | Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Actinomyces, Propionibacteriaceae | Lactobacillus (primarily menopausal effect) | Gram-positive enrichment independent of confounders. |
| Oral Cavity | None significant | None significant | High environmental turnover limits disease signal. |
Key implications
This study highlights microbial signatures that may contribute to, or result from, breast carcinogenesis. The consistent loss of Methylobacterium in cancerous breast tissue suggests potential roles in local immune or metabolic environments. Meanwhile, the gram-positive enrichment in urine could represent a non-invasive screening avenue, though causality remains unclear. Menopause emerged as a dominant factor in urinary microbiome composition, underscoring the need for controlled cohort matching in future research. These results suggest that breast cancer may leave measurable microbial footprints both locally and in accessible body fluids, providing opportunities for biomarker development.
Citation
Wang H, Altemus J, Niazi F, et al. Breast tissue, oral and urinary microbiomes in breast cancer.Oncotarget. 2017;8(50):88122-88138. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.21490