來自美國微生物學會的消息，研究發(fā)現(xiàn)胰腺癌病人的口腔微生物組成模式與健康對照之間存在明顯的差異。這一發(fā)現(xiàn)將會對胰腺癌的早期診斷提供巨大的幫助。胰腺癌是致死率第四位的癌癥，嚴重威脅人類健康。對于胰腺癌的準確早期診斷將大大提高病人的成活率，然而不幸的是，目前尚未發(fā)展出一種有效的對胰腺癌進行早期診斷的技術方法。

    在這項最新的研究中，研究組一共收集了131位病人的樣本，其中女性63人，男性68人。這131人中，14人已經被確診患有胰腺癌，13人患有胰腺疾病，22人患有其他類型的癌癥，10人身體健康。結果顯示患有胰腺癌的病人組中另種口腔微生物（Leptotrichia和Campylobacter）的組分顯著高于其他組別。同時另外三種口腔微生物（Streptococcus,Treponema和Veillonella）的組分顯著低于其他組別。

    原文：

    Patients with pancreatic cancer have a different and distinct profile of specific bacteria in their saliva compared to healthy controls and even patients with other cancers or pancreatic diseases, according to research presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. These findings could form the basis for a test to diagnose the disease in its early stages.

    “Our studies suggest that ratios of particular types of bacteria found in saliva may be indicative of pancreatic cancer,” says Pedro Torres of San Diego State University who presented the research.

    In the United States, approximately 40,000 people die every year due to pancreatic adenocarcinoma, making it the fourth leading cause of cancer related death. Patients diagnosed in the early stages of pancreatic cancer have a 5-year survival rate of 21.5%. Unfortunately symptoms do not appear until after the cancer has become untreatable in the vast majority of cases, says Torres.

    In the study, Torres and his colleagues compared the diversity of saliva bacteria across 131 patients, 63 female and 68 male, being treated at the University of California, San Diego （UCSD） Moores Cancer Center. Of these patients, 14 had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, 13 with pancreatic disease, 22 with other forms of cancer and 10 disease free. Results showed that patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer had higher levels of two particular oral bacteria, Leptotrichia and Campylobacter, when compared to any other healthy or diseased state including non-cancerous pancreatic disease. Those with pancreatic cancer also had lower levels of Streptococcus, Treponema and Veillonella.

    “Our results suggest the presence of a consistently distinct microbial profile for pancreatic cancer,” says Torres. “We may be able to detect pancreatic cancer at its early stages by taking individuals' saliva and looking at the ratios of these bacteria.”