Lung microbiome alterations correlate with immune imbalance in non-small cell lung cancer

Microbial composition differed significantly between the tumor-affected and healthy sides in lung cancer patients. <i>Veillonella</i> was more abundant NSCLC patients at stage IIIB-IV, while increased <i>Prevotella</i> and <i>Veillonella</i> abundance correlated positively with SII but negatively with CD8⁺ T cell levels. These findings provide valuable insights into tumor-associated microbiota for monitoring disease advancement, treatment stratification and prognostic assessment.