Diet-Driven Alterations in Gut Microbiota and their Implications for Cancer Therapy: A Review

Abstract

The gut microbiome is being frequently acknowledged for its impact on intestinal and extra-intestinal conditions, notably cancer. Here, diet is the most extensively researched modulator of gut microbiota among various environmental factors, demonstrating the ability to enrich its diversity and composition. Recent insights from clinical and preclinical trials emphasize the reciprocal influence between gut microbiota and anticancer therapies, impacting treatment responses and mitigating associated toxicities. Understanding these intricate connections is pivotal, given the potential of the gut microbiota to enhance the efficacy of existing chemotherapeutic agents while reducing their adverse effects. A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar, employing keywords like "gut microbiome," "cancer therapy," "chemotherapy," "diet," and "microbial fermentation." Thus, this review seeks to examine the interplay between the gut microbiome and cancer therapies, while also delving into nutritional strategies that can modulate the gut microbiome to improve cancer treatments.

Keywords: Cancer treatment; Microbiome; Diet; Microbiota; Nutrition; Oncogenesis; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Efficacy; Toxicity