Fusobacterium and Colorectal Cancer: Important Association or Random Coincidence?

Abstract

The role of the microbiome in human cancer has become an area of intensive research and controversy. Many reports have highlighted the physical association of Fusobacterium with colorectal cancer. This association has provided diagnostic and therapeutic promise but has also given rise to several controversies regarding the influence of Fusobacterium species on human colorectal cancer. Here, we discuss two areas of controversy surrounding this emerging pathogen: the influence of Fusobacterium on colorectal cancer proliferation and the effect of Fusobacterium on the immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer.