A new chapter published by Springer Nature dives deep into one of the most promising frontiers in oncology: the use of gut microbiota as a noninvasive biomarker for colorectal cancer (CRC) detection and monitoring.
Titled “Diagnostic Approaches for Colorectal Cancer: Gut Microbiota–Based Biomarkers for Colorectal Cancer Detection and Monitoring”, the chapter is part of the book Role of Gut Microbiota and Postbiotics for Colorectal Cancer and is authored by K. Sandhanam, Bedanta Bhattacharjee, M. Sumithra, Ram Kumar Sahu, and Jiyauddin Khan.
The authors explore the rapidly growing body of evidence that links shifts in the gut microbiome to CRC progression. Microbial species like Fusobacterium nucleatum, Escherichia coli, and Bacteroides fragilis have been repeatedly found in precancerous lesions and tumor environments, suggesting their potential role as early indicators of malignancy.
Beyond traditional screening tools like the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and colonoscopy, the chapter highlights how novel, noninvasive diagnostics—such as metaproteomics, metabolomics, and microbial cell-free DNA (cfDNA)—could supplement or even transform current practices. Deep sequencing and computational methods are being developed to improve sensitivity and specificity, though technical and regulatory challenges remain.
While these microbial biomarkers are not yet ready for routine clinical deployment, they represent a compelling path forward in the global effort to catch CRC earlier—when treatment outcomes are significantly more favorable.