Primary tumor microbiomes predict distant metastasis of colorectal cancer

Metastasis causes most cancer-related deaths in colorectal carcinoma (CRC), and microbiome markers may have prognostic value. We hypothesized that primary tumor microbiomes predict distant metastases. We analyzed 5-year metastasis-free survival in a retrospective case-control cohort using 16S rDNA sequencing. Microbiome beta diversity distinguished primary vs. metastasis and predicted 5-year MFS.