Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (2): 501-508.DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.02.021

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Tongue-coating microbiome as a predictor of solid tumors: an updated scoping review of clinical studies

LI Kexin1, YANG Jinzu2, XIAO Kunlin3, DUAN Shaojie4(), XIAO Kunmin2()   

  1. 1 Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
    2 Department of Oncology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
    3 Department of Emergency, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200030, China
    4 Department of Geriatrics, Taizhou Central Hospital, Taizhou 318000, China
  • Received:2024-12-25 Accepted:2025-06-20 Online:2026-04-15 Published:2026-04-04
  • Contact: XIAO Kunmin, Department of Oncology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China. 20170931602@bucm.edu.cn; DUAN Shaojie, Department of Geriatrics, Taizhou Central Hospital, Taizhou 318000, China. 1782802171@qq.com; Telephone: +86-18801020572
  • About author:

    LI Kexin and YANG Jinzu are co-first authors and contributed equally to this work

Abstract:

This study explores the potential of tongue coating microbiota as a non-invasive biomarker for cancer and precancerous lesions by integrating insights from multi-omics technologies and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) tongue diagnosis. By bridging modern molecular research with TCM diagnostic principles, this study systematically reviewed the relationship between tongue microbiota and oncological conditions, identifying 18 eligible studies through searches in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. The analysis reveals significant differences in microbial diversity, abundance, metabolic pathways, and functional characteristics, which enable the partial differentiation of cancer patients from healthy individuals. However, existing research remains constrained by limited sample sizes, inconsistent analytical approaches, and a lack of integrated multi-dimensional datasets. This review highlights the promising diagnostic potential of the tongue coating microbiota in cancer detection, while suggesting that future studies should focus on standardizing methodologies and employing integrated multi-omics approaches to elucidate underlying mechanisms and advance clinical applications.

Key words: tongue coating microbiota, tongue diagnosis, non-invasive biomarkers, solid tumors, review

Cite this article

LI Kexin, YANG Jinzu, XIAO Kunlin, DUAN Shaojie, XIAO Kunmin. Tongue-coating microbiome as a predictor of solid tumors: an updated scoping review of clinical studies[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2026, 46(2): 501-508.