Intestinal microbiota is altered in patients with colon cancer and modified by probiotic intervention.

OBJECTIVE

The colonic microbiota is altered in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). We investigated the microbiota composition of patients with colon cancer compared with controls devoid of neoplastic or inflammatory disease and the potential to modify the colonic microbiota with probiotics.

DESIGN

Biopsy samples were obtained from the normal mucosa and tumour during colonoscopy from 15 patients with colon cancer. Subsequent patient-matched samples were taken at surgery from the tumour and nearby mucosa from the patients with cancer, eight of whom had received two daily tablets totalling 1.4×10 CFUs Bl-04 and 7×10 CFUs NCFM. Faecal samples were obtained after colonoscopy prior to starting the intervention and at surgery. In addition, 21 mucosal biopsies from non-cancer controls were obtained during colonoscopy followed by later faecal samples. The colonic and faecal microbiota was assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.

RESULTS

The tumour microbiota was characterised by increased microbial diversity and enrichment of several taxa including , and compared with the control microbiota. Patients with colon cancer that received probiotics had an increased abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria, especially and spp in the tumour, non-tumour mucosa and faecal microbiota. CRC-associated genera such as and tended to be reduced in the faecal microbiota of patients that received probiotics.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with colon cancer harbour a distinct microbiota signature in the tumour tissue and nearby mucosa, which was altered with probiotic intervention. Our results show promise for potential therapeutic benefits in CRC by manipulation of the microbiota.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03072641; Results.