Gut microbiome in Iowan breast cancer patients

The incidence of breast cancer has increased substantially over the past forty years, and breast cancer is now the most diagnosed cancer worldwide. While there are many established risk factors for breast cancer, up to half of all cases cannot be attributed to these known risks. Recently, research has focused on characterization of the interactions between the microbiome and cancer. While bacterial species have been linked to specific cancers, few studies have focused on the relationship between the microbiome and breast cancer. Of these, none have included patients from the Midwest region of the United States. This pilot study sought to identify and characterize gut dysbiosis among breast cancer patients in the Midwest.