Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41526647›Full record

ArticleCommunications medicine2026

Longitudinal multiomics analysis of endocrine therapy effects and gut microbiota in breast cancer recurrence.

Ming-Feng Hou, Chung-Liang Li, Sin-Hua Moi, Fang-Ming Chen, Jing-Yi Chen, Shen-Liang Shih, Jung-Yu Kan, Sheau-Fang Yang, Chih-Po Chiang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications medicine, 2026. 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. The dialogue between breast cancer and microorganisms.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026
    Review
  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

9 authors.

Ming-Feng Hou *Division of Breast Oncology and Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Chung-Liang Li *Division of Breast Oncology and Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Sin-Hua Moi *Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Fang-Ming ChenDivision of Breast Oncology and Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Jing-Yi ChenDepartment of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medical Science and Technology, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Shen-Liang ShihDivision of Breast Oncology and Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8488-5931
Jung-Yu KanDivision of Breast Oncology and Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Sheau-Fang YangDepartment of Pathology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Chih-Po ChiangDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. blackcch73@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5399-3902

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe gut microbiota influences breast cancer development through the estrobolome, a collection of bacterial genes involved in estrogen metabolism. While estrogen and the gut microbiota mutually affect each other, the long-term effects of oral endocrine therapy (ET) on the gut microbiota remain unclear. Furthermore, the relationship between gut microbiota profiles and breast cancer recurrence is not well understood. This study aims to investigate the long-term impact of oral ET on gut microbiota composition in disease-free and recurrent breast cancer patients.

methodsWe enrolled 48 participants divided into four groups: tamoxifen only (Tam), letrozole only (Let), chemotherapy plus letrozole without recurrence (CLet), and chemotherapy plus letrozole with recurrence (Recu). Fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing. Blood samples for cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis and tissue samples for EndoPredict (EPclin) scoring.

resultsHere we show that long-term ET administration does not significantly alter overall gut microbial composition. However, patients with recurrence display lower α-diversity and higher abundances of Sutterella and Ruminococcus compared with non-recurrent patients. cfDNA profiles do not differ significantly between groups. Notably, high EPclin scores predict chemotherapy benefit, but recurrence still occurs in some cases. In such patients, gut microbial markers effectively distinguish recurrence and are associated with poorer progression-free survival, particularly in those with larger tumors.

conclusionsThis study provides the first human evidence with long-term ET administration to reveal that, besides genetic profiles, the gut microbiota is another critical factor that we should consider in the influence and prediction of breast cancer recurrence in the future.

Identifiers

PMID41526647
PMCPMC12905206

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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.