Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40770419›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

An increase in Fusobacterium is associated with the severity of oral mucositis after radiotherapy.

Atsushi Ue, Yukihisa Tamaki, Haruki Usuda, Unta Yamamori, Hiroshi Burioka, Natsuko Nagano, Masafumi Uno, Yoko Sonoyama, Takayuki Okamoto, Koichiro Wada

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

10 authors.

Atsushi UeDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
Yukihisa TamakiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan. ytamaki@med.shimane-u.ac.jp.
Haruki UsudaDepartment of Pharmacology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89- 1 Enya-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
Unta YamamoriDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
Hiroshi BuriokaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
Natsuko NaganoDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
Masafumi UnoDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
Yoko SonoyamaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
Takayuki OkamotoDepartment of Pharmacology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89- 1 Enya-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
Koichiro WadaDepartment of Pharmacology, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89- 1 Enya-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.

Funding

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 24K13801
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Radiotherapy is a common treatment for head and neck cancer but often causes oral mucositis, which reduces quality of life. Recent studies suggest that radiotherapy affects the oral microbiota, but whether it contributes to the severity of mucositis has been unclear. This study investigated the association between radiotherapy-induced changes in the oral microbiota and the severity of mucositis using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. Oral samples were collected before, during, and after radiotherapy and were analyzed for changes in bacterial composition and diversity using the Shannon index and Chao1 index. Severity of mucositis was assessed, and its association with changes in bacterial groups was investigated. In total, 43 patients participated in the study. Fusobacterium was significantly increased in the group with severe mucositis (p = 0.020), with an occupancy rate of more than 7% after radiotherapy and a positive correlation with severity of mucositis (p = 0.042). There was a significant increase in the Chao1 index after radiotherapy (p = 0.001) but not in the Shannon index. Changes in oral microbiota may determine the severity of radiotherapy-induced mucositis. An increase in Fusobacterium was found to be closely associated with the severity of mucositis and should be controlled to prevent radiotherapy-induced mucositis in head and neck cancer patients.

Indexed as

FusobacteriumHead and Neck NeoplasmsRadiation InjuriesRadiotherapyStomatitisAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMicrobiotaMiddle AgedRNA, Ribosomal, 16SSeverity of Illness IndexRNA, Ribosomal, 16S16S rRNA gene sequencingFusobacteriumHead and neck cancerInflammationOral microbiotaOral mucositisRadiotherapy

Identifiers

PMID40770419
PMCPMC12328704

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Registered trials

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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 OpenQuestion graph.