Strikingly, the abundance of four types of bacteria -- low levels of Haemophilus and Porphyromonas and high levels of Leptotrichia and Fusobacterium -- could distinguish pancreatic cancer patients from healthy individuals.

The research team hypothesize that the immune system is the most likely link between any confirmed shifts in the microbiome with pancreatic cancer -- for example, disease development in the pancreas may influence the immune response in ways that favour the growth of certain bacteria -- or vice versa. If proven, this could set the stage for the development of new treatment strategies involving antibiotics or immunotherapies -- or potentially even probiotics that can help prevent pancreatic cancer in high-risk patients in the future.