Evidence mapPaperPMID 41480207Full record

ArticleWorld journal of gastrointestinal oncology2025

Tumor-resident microorganisms as clinical biomarkers in primary liver cancer: A systematic review of current evidence.

Shuai Song, Li-Shan Xu, Lin-Qing Wang, Xiu Zhou, Xin Jiang, Chang-Ping Li

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Article in World journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Shuai SongDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China.
Li-Shan XuDepartment of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
Lin-Qing WangDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China.
Xiu ZhouDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China.
Xin JiangDepartment of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China. jx10818030@zju.edu.cn.
Chang-Ping LiDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatic malignancies represent the sixth most prevalent cancer globally, with emerging evidence revealing that intratumoral microbes actively modulate carcinogenesis through immunomodulation and metabolic reprogramming. Recent high-throughput sequencing technologies have identified taxonomically diverse microbial communities within tumor tissues, challenging traditional sterility paradigms. Germ-free mouse models have established causal relationships between gut microbiota and hepatocarcinogenesis. However, comprehensive evaluation of intratumoral microbiota as clinical biomarkers remains limited, necessitating systematic analysis of their diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications in hepatic malignancies.

aimTo systematically analyze intratumoral microbes as biomarkers for hepatic malignancies diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response.

methodsWe conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed from inception to July 2025 using keywords combining hepatic malignancies, intratumoral microbiota, and biomarkers. Inclusion criteria encompassed human studies examining intratumoral microbial communities with biomarker applications. Exclusion criteria included animal-only studies, reviews, and research focusing solely on gut microbiota. Data extraction focused on diagnostic accuracy, prognostic significance, therapeutic predictions, and underlying mechanisms. Study quality was assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, with scores ≥ 7 indicating high quality.

resultsTwenty studies (sample sizes: 18-925 patients) examining hepatocellular carcinoma (80%) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (20%) were included. All studies achieved Newcastle-Ottawa Scale scores ≥ 6, with 60% scoring the maximum 9 points, indicating moderate-to-high quality. Studies predominantly employed 16S rRNA sequencing (100%) targeting V3-V4 regions, with complementary validation techniques including fluorescence

conclusionIntratumoral microbes represent promising clinical biomarkers for hepatic malignancies across diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications. While standardization and multicenter validation remain essential prerequisites, mechanistic evidence from human and experimental studies positions microbiome-based biomarkers at the threshold of clinical translation.

Indexed as

16S rRNA sequencingBiomarkersDiagnosisGut-liver axisHepatocellular carcinomaIntrahepatic cholangiocarcinomaIntratumoral microbiotaPrognosisSystematic reviewTherapeutic response

Identifiers

PMID41480207
PMCPMC12754327

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.