Lung cancer respiratory tract microbiome
The human microbiome influences health and disease, but its role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is poorly understood. This prospective study analyzed bronchial lavage samples from 122 patients undergoing bronchoscopy, including 87 with NSCLC. Microbial DNA was sequenced using next-generation sequencing, and alpha diversity was assessed with Shannon and inverse Simpson indices. Microbiome diversity was compared across clinical factors and associations with clinical phenotypes were explored via bioinformatics tools. Alpha diversity was significantly lower in smokers compared to never-smokers (p=0.003) and varied across TNM stages, with distinct bacterial taxa observed in non-smokers. These findings suggest that the lower respiratory tract microbiome differs by smoking status and disease stage in NSCLC, indicating a potential role in disease progression.