On October 1, 2026, the COHORTES-MICROBIOMES project published an article titled “Importance of fecal sample collection in prospective cohort studies to evaluate the effect of the gut microbiome on cancer development” in the journal The Lancet Microbe.
Various cross-sectional studies have highlighted an association between cancer and the gut microbiome, but a key question remains unanswered: Do changes in the microbiome precede the onset of cancer?
To address this, prospective cohort studies must be conducted to collect a large number of fecal samples from healthy individuals before the potential onset of cancer.
In this publication, the authors review 18 international prospective cohorts in which fecal samples from at least 5,000 people have been or will be collected.
The COHORTES-MICROBIOMES focus project of the PEPR SAMS contributes to this international effort by supporting the characterization of the microbiota of several French cohorts, some of which are drawn from the general population and include healthy individuals.
In order to evaluate a large number of cancer cases and identify strong associations between the gut microbiota and cancer, the authors suggest that additional cohorts collect fecal samples (particularly in Europe, Africa, etc.). The article emphasizes the importance of pooling methods and data to conduct a meta-analysis of microbiome data across all cohorts.
Ultimately, the results obtained could lead to a better understanding of how the gut microbiome influences and may predict the development of cancer.
- Emily Vogtmann, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
- Caroline Y Um, American Cancer Society
- Semi Zouiouich, International Agency for Research on Cancer, WHO
- Devin Absher, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
- Robert Benamouzig, Avicenne Hospital, AP-HP
- Andrew T Chan, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Jingyuan Fu, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen
- Wendy S Garrett, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health
- Karin Halina Greiser, German Cancer Research Center
- Aki S Havulinna, University of Turku
- Curtis Huttenhower, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health
- Kristian Hveem, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- Lawrence H Kushi, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
- Leo Lahti, University of Turku
- Jyh-Ming Liou, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, University Hospital and University
- Alexander Lituev, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
- Karl Michaëlsson, Uppsala University
- Roger L Milne, Cancer Council Victoria, University of Melbourne, Monash University
- Marit Næss, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- Teemu J Niiranen, Turku University Hospital and University
- Anja Olsen, Danish Cancer Institute, Aarhus University
- Alpa V Patel, American Cancer Society
- Eric B Rimm, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health
- Sarah Rowell, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
- Veikko Salomaa, Turku University Hospital and University
- Sergi Sayols-Baixeras, Uppsala University, Instituto de Salud Carlos III
- Eran Segal, Weizmann Institute of Science
- Martha J Shrubsole, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Xiao-Ou Shu, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Jacek Skarbinski, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
- Mingyang Song, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health
- Melissa C Southey, Cancer Council Victoria, University of Melbourne, Monash University
- Anne Tjønneland, Danish Cancer Institute
- Patrick Veiga, Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE
- Rinse K Weersma, University and University Medical Center Groningen
- Ming-Shiang Wu, National Taiwan University
- Wei Zheng, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Alexandra Zhernakova, University and University Medical Center Groningen
- Jianxin Shi, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
- Hyokyoung G Hong, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
- Christian C Abnet, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
- Rashmi Sinha, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health