Abstract IA050: Decoding the role of lifestyle and behavioral factors on the microbiome–metabolome axis in cervical cancer risk

Abstract

Cervical cancer remains one of the most common cancers in women worldwide, with the human papillomavirus (HPV) being the identified etiological agent. Over the past decade, incidence rates among women in Puerto Rico have increased, potentially reflecting socioeconomic barriers that limit access to healthcare and contribute to lower screening rates. An essential component of cervical dysplasia is persistent HPV infections that progress to cervical lesions of low- and high-grade severity. Importantly, biological factors, including the cervicovaginal microbiome, may contribute to the progression of cervical dysplasia and subsequent cancer development. Specifically, the cervical microbiome can alter the metabolic environment through microbial-derived metabolites, providing a potential biological pathway linking microbiome-environment interactions with cancer development. Due to the limited understanding of the underlying metabolic pathways, our study evaluated the cervical microbiota-metabolome axis and other lifestyle markers in Hispanic women with HPV and cervical dysplasia living in Puerto Rico. This cohort of non-menopausal, reproductive-age women underwent bacterial identification by 16S rRNA sequencing, HPV genotyping, and untargeted metabolomics using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Microbial assessment identified that women with high-severity lesions exhibited increased richness and pro-inflammatory taxa, including Prevotella spp., Sneathia, and Fusobacterium. Interestingly, oral-associated taxa were linked to metabolic processes involving several metabolites in the cervical microenvironment, including biogenic amines. Overall, oral-associated taxa emerged as potential predictors of metabolic variations across cervical progression. Our lab continues to evaluate the role of high-risk behavior in cervical cancer progression and is also interested in understanding the dynamics between fungal and bacterial communities. Our findings highlight the potential role that sexual behaviors, such as oral sex, and lifestyle play in facilitating microbial translocation that may contribute to cervical disease. Funding for this study was provided by the NIH Center for Collaborative Research in Minority Health and Health Disparities (RCMI) 2U54MD007600, the Puerto Rico Clinical and Translational Research Consortium (PRCTRC) U54MD007587, and the Puerto Rico IDeA Network Biomedical Research Excellence (PR-INBRE) 5P20GM103475-17. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus (Protocol #1050114, Streamline #2290033153), with biosafety approval under protocol #94620. Natalie M. Meléndez-Vázquez, Filipa Godoy-Vitorino. Decoding the role of lifestyle and behavioral factors on the microbiome–metabolome axis in cervical cancer risk [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 19th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2026 Oct 18-21; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2026;35(10 Suppl):Abstract nr IA050.