Johns Hopkins researchers find link between oral bacteria and cancer risk

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In a sample study, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have found an association between the makeup of an individual's microbiome and head and neck cancer, a finding that potentially advances the quest for faster and more accurate cancer diagnosis and therapy.

In a report on the research published on May 30 in Oncotarget, the scientists say that populations of the human microbiome—the collection of normal bacteria inhabiting people's bodies—can help discriminate between patients with head and neck cancer and healthy individuals.