Dysbiosis in head and neck cancer: determining optimal sampling site for oral microbiome collection

Recent research suggests that dysbiosis of the oral microbial community is associated with head and neck cancer (HNC). It remains unclear whether this dysbiosis causes chemo-radiotherapy (CRT)-related complications. However, to address this question, it is essential to determine the most representative oral site for microbiome sampling. Our aims for this study were to determine 1.) the optimal site for oral sample collection; 2.) whether presence of HNC is associated with altered oral microbiome from this site.