Common mouth bacteria 'melts’ cancer, scientists find, and it could explain why some patients have better survival odds By Xantha Leatham Deputy Science Editor For The Daily Mail Published: 19:01 EDT, 26 July 2024 | Updated: 19:01 EDT, 26 July 2024 e-mail View comments A bacteria commonly found in the mouth appears to ‘melt’ and destroy certain cancers, scientists have discovered. Researchers said they were ‘surprised’ to find that patients with head and neck cancer who had Fusobacterium within their tumours had ‘much better outcomes’. The exact biological mechanisms behind the link are being keenly studied by researchers at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College London .
In laboratory studies, the team put quantities of the bacteria in Petri dishes with cancer cells and left them for a couple of days. When they returned to inspect the effect of the bacteria on the cancer, they found there was a 70 to 99 per cent reduction in the number of viable head and neck cancer cells after being infected with Fusobacterium. Symptoms of the cancer can be hard to spot, according to the NHS.
These include a sore throat, earache, difficulty swallowing and unexplained weight loss. Changes to your voice or experiencing a lump in the neck are other key signs Researchers said they were ‘surprised’ to find that patients with head and neck cancer who had Fusobacterium within their tumours had ‘much better outcomes’ Further analysis of 155 patients with head and neck c.
