Immunotherapy is a new and innovative cancer treatment that has revolutionized the way we fight cancer.

But there’s a catch: cancer patients who take antibiotics before immunotherapy have a significantly lower life expectancy than those who don’t.

The Study

A recent study published in JAMA Oncology found that cancer patients who had taken antibiotics in the two weeks prior to receiving immunotherapy had a 47% lower response rate than those who didn’t.

The study also found that their progression-free survival (PFS) rate was significantly lower.

The study involved 197 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had received immunotherapy. Of those patients, 77 had taken antibiotics prior to beginning the treatment.

The Antibiotics Effect

So, why do antibiotics have such an effect on immunotherapy success rates? The answer lies in the gut microbiome.

The gut microbiome is made up of trillions of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. These microorganisms are essential for maintaining a healthy immune system, and they also play a role in the way the body responds to cancer.

Taking antibiotics can disrupt the balance of the gut microbiome, which can weaken the immune system’s response to cancer.

This means that the body may not be able to fight off cancer cells as effectively as it could if the gut microbiome was intact and healthy.

The Importance of the Gut Microbiome

The importance of the gut microbiome in cancer treatment has only recently been discovered. Researchers have found that certain types of bacteria in the gut can help the immune system attack cancer cells.

In fact, a 2019 study found that a certain type of bacteria called Akkermansia muciniphila was associated with a higher response rate to immunotherapy. This is because A. muciniphila stimulates the production of immune cells that attack cancer cells.

However, taking antibiotics can kill off not only harmful bacteria but also beneficial bacteria, including A. muciniphila. This means that when a patient takes antibiotics, their chances of responding well to immunotherapy are significantly lower.

The Way Forward

So, what can be done to prevent this issue and to improve immunotherapy success rates in cancer patients? There are a few options.

Firstly, doctors could monitor patients’ gut microbiomes before prescribing antibiotics and immunotherapy.

This would mean that patients who have a healthy microbiome could avoid taking antibiotics and reduce the risk of a weaker immunotherapy response.

Alternatively, doctors could prescribe probiotics alongside antibiotics to help maintain a healthy gut microbiome. This could improve immunotherapy success rates and the overall health of the patient.

Finally, doctors could wait a few weeks after a patient has finished taking antibiotics before administering immunotherapy. This would give the patient’s gut microbiome time to recover and return to a healthy state.

The Bottom Line

Immunotherapy is an innovative and effective cancer treatment, but its success rate can be significantly impacted by antibiotics.

By understanding the importance of the gut microbiome, doctors can help improve response rates and overall patient outcomes.

Moving forward, more research is needed to determine the best course of action for cancer patients on antibiotics. But for now, doctors should consider the impact of antibiotics on the gut microbiome when prescribing immunotherapy.