A Review of the Role of Oral Microbiome in the Development, Detection, and Management of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancers

Simple Summary Head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC) are the seventh most common form of cancer in the United States. Though the role of the microbiome in the development of other diseases of the aerodigestive tract is well defined, the role of the microbiome in HNSCC is a developing subject. The notion of harnessing the microbiome for the prevention, detection, and treatment of HNSCC is an exciting new prospect in oncology. This manuscript discusses what is known about the healthy oral microbiome, the microbiome unique to premalignant lesions of the head and neck, the microbiome of HNSCC, and the microbiome as a modulator of immunity and malignancy. The manuscript also discusses clinical applications of the microbiome as they relate to HNSCC, including relationships between the microbiome and outcome data, and treatment toxicities. The aim of this review is to guide future research and clinical trials on the microbiome with the hopes of improving screening techniques, decreasing treatment toxicities, and improving survival for patients with HNSCC. The role of the microbiome in the development and propagation of head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) is largely unknown and the surrounding knowledge lags behind what has been discovered related to the microbiome and other malignancies. In this review, the authors performed a structured analysis of the available literature from several databases. The authors discuss the merits and detriments of several studies discussing the microbiome of the structures of the aerodigestive system throughout the development of HNSCC, the role of the microbiome in the development of malignancies (generally and in HNSCC) and clinical applications of the microbiome in HNSCC. Further studies will be needed to adequately describe the relationship between HNSCC and the microbiome, and to push this relationship into a space where it is clinically relevant outside of a research environment.