evidence: Building on these observations, the latest studies in Cell similarly identified correlations between fungi and cancer traits and outcomes. The presence of the Candida group of fungi, for example, was associated with inflammation and immune activation in stomach cancer, tumor-promoting gene expression changes in head-and-neck and colon cancers, metastasis in colon cancers, and reduced survival in various gastrointestinal cancers. Researchers found that interactions between fungi and surrounding bacterial communities correlated with outcomes, too. [...] A study from 2021 suggested that some fungi could negatively impact responses to radiation therapy by inhibiting antitumor immune functions, and studies from this year indicated that certain fungal species are associated with poor responses to immunotherapy in patients with melanoma. These findings raise the prospect of modulating the mycobiome to improve responses to cancer treatments. [...] While the relationship between the mycobiome and cancer is just beginning to be understood, it has become increasingly apparent that fungal species, like the bacteria and viruses studied before, could have a role in cancer, presenting new opportunities for treatment and disease monitoring.