Microbes in the digestive tract help tailor treatment for melanoma patients

Andreea Neblea

NYU Grossman School of Medicine Apr 20 2026 The specific mix of bacteria living in a person's gut can predict the chances that melanoma will recur after surgery and immunotherapy, which helps immune cells target cancer cells. This is according to a new study led by researchers from NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center. Past studies showed that 25 % to 40 % of melanoma patients see their cancer return despite these two standard approaches, but predicting which patients will see