JAMA Oncology Author Interviews Oral Bacterial and Fungal Microbiome and Subsequent Risk for Pancreatic Cancer
Sep 18, 2025
Jiyoung Ahn, a cancer epidemiologist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, dives into groundbreaking research on the oral microbiome's impact on pancreatic cancer risk. She discusses her unique 27-species microbial risk score that suggests a 3.5-fold increase in risk and explores how specific Candida species may correlate with this risk. Ahn also shares surprising findings regarding the presence of bacteria and fungi in the pancreas, emphasizing the need for further studies to validate these discoveries across diverse populations.
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Oral Microbiome As A Risk Window
- Pancreatic cancer lacks good screening and has few modifiable risk factors, making new markers important.
- The oral microbiome was investigated because poor oral health linked to higher pancreatic cancer risk and mouth bacteria can travel to the pancreas.
Microbial Risk Score Predicts Risk
- The team combined 27 microbial species into a microbial risk score (MRS) weighted by effect sizes and abundances.
- Individuals with higher MRS had a 3.5-fold increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Fungi Play A Complex Role
- Oral fungi, especially Candida species, may influence pancreatic cancer risk but species-level interpretation is limited by incomplete fungal reference databases.
- Further mechanistic work is needed to understand how specific fungal species contribute to carcinogenesis.