Review of metabolomics and microbiomics in esophageal cancer: From pathogenesis to prognosis

Esophageal cancer is a prevalent and aggressive malignancy associated with a poor prognosis. Metabolomics and microbiomics have emerged as promising approaches for investigating the tumor microenvironment and monitoring dynamic changes throughout the treatment process. These methodologies facilitate the direct observation of phenotypic alterations with high sensitivity, throughput, and adaptability across diverse sample types. Microbial genomic data play a crucial role in predicting the metabolic potential of microorganisms, whereas metabolomics offers direct evidence of active metabolic pathways under specific conditions. This review presents novel insights into the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of esophageal cancer through the application of metabolomics and microbiomics. Future advancements in the integration of multi-omics data are expected to further elucidate the metabolic mechanisms and pathophysiological processes underlying esophageal cancer, thereby laying a robust scientific foundation for early diagnosis, prognostic assessment, and personalized treatment strategies.