Which microbes are really in tumors?
Evidence for the cancer microbiome varies widely. Some organisms have been cultured from tumors and shown to affect the disease. Others are faint sequencing signals that fade under reanalysis. This atlas grades every reported association between a microbe and a cancer type by the strength of the evidence behind it, from live cultivation to low-confidence detection.
What the graded data shows
These figures are computed directly from the graded entries and update as the atlas grows. They describe how much evidence exists and how strong it is, not microbial abundance. Quantitative enrichment from raw count tables is a planned next step.
How the evidence is graded
Each association is graded by the strongest evidence it has earned. Every entry shows its methods, its reproducibility, and its caveats, including counter-evidence and failed replications. Low-confidence results are labeled rather than hidden, so uncertainty in the field stays visible.
How the atlas is built
Four principles guide how associations are graded and presented.
Evidence over enthusiasm
Each association is graded on what has been demonstrated: cultivation, in-situ localization, or reproduction across cohorts. A striking headline does not raise its grade.
Contamination is tracked
Low-biomass tumor sequencing is prone to contamination. Each entry records how decontamination was handled, and that determines whether it can rise above the lowest tiers.
Caveats stay with the claim
Counter-evidence, failed replications, and retractions appear next to the finding, not in a footnote. A strong-looking entry can still carry a warning.
Provenance you can audit
Each entry names its curator, its verification status, and its primary papers, so any grade can be traced back to its source.