Table 1.
Main identified/studied bacterial phyla and their relationship with carcinogenesis.
| Bacterial Phylum | Body site | Detrimental/beneficial for the host | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actinobacteria | Colon | Beneficial (though outcompeted by opportunistic bacteria during cancer progression) | [95, 97] |
| Esophagus | Beneficial | [68, 69] | |
|
| |||
| Bacteroidetes | Colon | Detrimental, linked to development of CRC | [95, 97] |
| Esophagus | Detrimental, linked to development of esophageal cancer | [57, 68, 69] | |
| Female reproductive tract | Detrimental, linked to endometrial cancer | [118] | |
| Oral cavity | Detrimental, related to development of OSCC | [18–20] | |
|
| |||
| Firmicutes | Breast |
Staphylococcus: detrimental, linked to development of breast cancer Lactobacillus: beneficial |
[37, 43] |
| Colon | Beneficial (though outcompeted by opportunistic bacteria during cancer progression) | [95, 97] | |
| Esophagus | Detrimental, linked to development of esophageal cancer Peptococcus: beneficial |
[57, 68, 69] | |
| Female reproductive tract | Detrimental, linked to ovarian cancer Lactobacillus: beneficial |
[119, 124, 125] | |
| Nasal cavity | Detrimental, related to development of nasal polyposis | [28, 29] | |
| Skin | Detrimental, linked to atopic dermatitis and BCC (S. aureus) or beneficial (S. epidermidis) | [131, 135] | |
|
| |||
| Fusobacteria | Colon | Detrimental, linked to development of CRC | [86, 110–112] |
| Esophagus | Detrimental, linked to development of esophageal cancer | [57] | |
| Oral cavity | Detrimental, related to development of OSCC | [16, 17] | |
|
| |||
| Proteobacteria | Breast | Detrimental, linked to development of breast cancer | [37] |
| Esophagus | Detrimental, linked to development of esophageal cancer | [53, 57, 75] | |
| Female reproductive tract | Detrimental, linked to ovarian cancer | [124, 125] | |