472P Characterizing the anal microbiome in proximal versus distal colorectal cancer

Abstract

Although the gut microbiome has been linked with colorectal cancer (CRC), there is limited data on the significance of the microbiome in various subtypes of CRC such as proximal versus distal CRC and young-onset CRC. Also, fecal sample collection is a major hurdle in microbiome studies. This study evaluates the utility of anal swabs collected during clinic visits as an alternative for gut microbiome profiling and examines its relationship with tumor location and age at diagnosis.