The gut microbiota influences cancer treatment and prognosis

The gut microbiota plays a key role in the development of cancers, the effectiveness of treatments, and the management of side effects. Recent research shows that certain gut bacteria can either promote or, conversely, slow the progression of tumors. For example, strains such as Bifidobacterium or Akkermansia muciniphila enhance the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies, while others, like Fusobacterium nucleatum, are associated with treatment resistance and disease worsening.

Modern microbiota analysis techniques, such as bacterial DNA sequencing, make it possible to identify these bacteria and assess their impact on health. These methods help detect early imbalances linked to an increased risk of digestive cancers, complications after chemotherapy, or stem cell transplants. In oncology, the microbiota can also serve as a marker to predict the response to treatments, such as immunotherapy or chemotherapy, and adapt therapeutic strategies.

Chemotherapy treatments often disrupt the balance of the microbiota, increasing the risk of infections and adverse effects such as diarrhea or mucositis. Tailored management, including probiotics or microbiota transplants, can restore this balance and improve treatment tolerance. For example, washed microbiota transplantation, a safer technique than traditional methods, shows promising results for treating resistant infections or complications related to transplants.

The microbiota also influences the prognosis of patients with hematological cancers. Reduced bacterial diversity before a stem cell transplant is associated with an increased risk of complications, such as graft-versus-host disease, a reaction where donor cells attack those of the recipient. Conversely, a diverse microbiota promotes better immune reconstruction and prolonged survival.

Finally, specific bacteria, such as Streptococcus thermophilus or Lactobacillus gallinarum, produce beneficial metabolites that inhibit the growth of cancer cells. These discoveries pave the way for innovative therapeutic approaches, combining microbiota and anti-cancer treatments to improve clinical outcomes.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s44178-026-00264-x

Title: Guidelines for gut microbiota technology of the chinese anti-cancer association (2025 Edition)

Journal: Holistic Integrative Oncology

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Qiang Wang; Zhi Guo; Qingming Wu; Xiaomei Wang; Mingxing He; Jing Liang; Xiaoan Li; Hui Long; Mingqiang Qiao; Jun Wang; Hua Ren; Hao Zhou; Zhe Liu; Ziming Huang; Xiaojun Xu; Xiaobo Wang; Rong Shu; Rong Qu; Min Tang; Zhi Lu; Yinhong Song; Hubin Duan; Xiaojun Huang; Qian Yin; Feng Chen; Guang Fu; Xiaofei Qi; Zhihui Cai; Guoliang Pi; Xuan Zhu; Yanli Zhu; Yukui Zhang; Bichuan Hu; Jingye Meng; Huiqiang Huang; Yuhua Li; Yanjie He; Liang Wang; Danian Nie; Zhiqiang Sun; Tieying Hou; Peng Chen; Hongyan Zhang; Faming Zhang; Jun Yu; Xiaohua Tan;