The Role of Oral Microbiome in the Pathogenesis of Oropharyngeal Cancers. A Comprehensive Review
Abstract:
The microbiome is currently considered to be a unique isolated ecosystem that closely interacts with the host organism. Due to this interaction, the qualitative and quantitative composition of the microbiome might affect many pathologic and physiologic processes, including malignant solid tumors. However, the existence and significance of dysbiosis in oral/oropharyngeal cancer is yet to be clearly established. According to a variety of literature data, bacteria colonizing the oral mucosa can induce production of inflammatory cytokines, cell proliferation, and inhibition of apoptosis, cellular invasion, and migration thorough host cell genomic alterations. In this regard, the role of the bacterial factor as one of the main factors in the development of tumors of the oral mucosa is currently being discussed. Some works that are taking into consideration in this systematic review have also shown that such species as Prevotella sp., Fusobacterium sp., Porphyromonas gingivalis play important role in cancer proliferation and has strong correlation with cancers of oropharyngeal zone. This review was made according to some studies that are documented and published in PubMed. In conclusion, all this study has been shown a high percentage of anaerobic bacteria in the direct cancer site in patients with oropharyngeal zone cancers, then in the health parts of cancer patients or healthy control group.
