Globally, one in five people will develop cancer in their lifetime. For decades, patients have been treated with chemotherapy, an approach that not only destroys cancer cells but ravages the immune system. Novel research has revealed the microbiome (a collection of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi in the human gut) may hold the key to understanding better ways of treating and even preventing cancer.
While only partially understood, the microbiome is the largest component of our immune system, containing up to 80% of our immune cells. Research has shown that there is a link between the composition of the gut microbiota and how the immune system behaves.
Sometimes in dealing with cancer, the infections that occur as a result of treatment and the weakened immune system are what kill. Novel approaches to battle cancer continue to push the boundaries of healthcare forward.
