Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas believe they have found the next method in the ongoing fight against cancer.
And it was behind us the whole time.
Researchers are currently testing fecal microbiota transplants as a way of changing the gut’s microbes, which could help treatments like immunotherapy work better, and which could prove to be especially significant for hard-to-reach cancers.
According to the Dallas Morning News, studies have suggested some people with cancer have less diverse, less balanced communities of gut microbes.
While this disruption can happen for many reasons, including diet, antibiotic use and even physical activity levels, so far research suggests that restoring the microbiome through a fecal microbiota transplant may improve how well some patients respond to immunotherapy, and subsequently their longer-term outcomes.
A fecal microbiota transplant is most often delivered through a colonoscopy, though it can also be given through a tube passed through the nose into the stomach, and more recently, some transplants have been delivered in swallowable capsules.
Dr. Jennifer Wargo, a surgical oncologist at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, said there are risks to transplanting another person’s stool, including the chance of transferring harmful pathogens.
She cautioned against a “do-it-yourself” transplant.
“With cancer patients, we’re concerned about safety,” she said. “We don’t want people to be doing their own poop transplant. They need to work with their treatment teams, first and foremost.”
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow 100.3 JACK-FM
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram