There has been an explosion of interest in the organisms that live in our gut, and how much they influence our health. These organisms, mostly bacteria but also viruses and fungi, are collectively called the microbiota, and as a living system it is called the microbiome. They affect the health of multiple organs and processes like the immune system, brain, heart, liver, skin and bone—to name just a few!

Our knowledge is expanding quickly. As evidence, a team of authors scoured 310 journals going back 24 years to 2000, looking for published articles on the interplay between urologic cancers (prostate, bladder, kidney) and gut microbiota. “Before 2018, there were only three or fewer publications annually; however, following 2018, the number of publications increased rapidly, reaching a peak of 77 in 2024.”^[i] Just under half of the articles were about the microbiome and prostate cancer (PCa), with bladder cancer in second place followed by kidney cancer. They anticipate that the number of such papers will continue to expand because understanding the connection between gut health and PCa “raises the possibility that variations in microbiota may be utilized in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.”

A 2025 article reviewed the relationship specifically between the gut microbiota and PCa. To sum up, they covered the impact of unhealthy eating and antibiotic use that sets up a dangerous microbiome imbalance which can generate a pro-cancer inflammatory environment in the body and interfere with the immune system’s antitumor activity, “thereby fostering PCa onset and progression.”^[ii] On the other hand, a balanced gut community may biologically protect against PCa growth and aggressiveness.

The prostate has a microbiome of its own

With the vast majority of microbiome research focused on the intestines, it’s easy to overlook that the prostate gland has its own microbiome. In fact, specific colonies of diverse bacteria can be analyzed in prostate tissue as well as urine (which has its own community of bacteria, viruses and fungi as well as what it picks up as it passes through the prostate).

There is much we don’t know about what is called the gut-prostate axis. We know that gut bacteria influence the prostate as part of the entire ecology of the body; if the gut microbiome generates systemic inflammation, for example, the prostate gland can’t help but be affected along with other organs and processes. However, the local environment also affects PCa development and progression. “Traditionally, the prostate has been considered a sterile organ, but recent studies have demonstrated the presence of a microbiome in the prostate by high-sensitivity sequencing and that its composition is associated with prostate disease,” write Pei, et al (2025).^[iii]

The Pei article contains technical microbiology terms, but to put it simply, the actions of the prostate microbiota parallel those of the gut. Certain bacteria dominate the prostate microbiome, and they are specific to prostate tissue. Their actions influence the potential of PCa in three ways:

• They activate genomic (molecular) signaling in a way that causes inflammation,
• They alter the immune microenvironment so it is less effective against invasive cancer cells, and
• Their by-products alter hormonal receptors and signaling.

The authors note that PCa tumor cells have higher concentrations (“enriched”) of four specific bacterial cultures associated with pro-cancer activity or chronic inflammation. They state that the “microbial community structure of cancerous and non-cancerous tissues is significantly different…” which may offer diagnostic information and even suggest treatment strategies.

Here’s an instance of how biopsy tissue could be analyzed for diagnostic clarity. Specific bacterial strains are prevalent in tumor cells with a high Gleason score, confirming a pathologist’s grading; other strains are associated with tumor aggressiveness, so if they appear under the microscope, it serves as a diagnostic warning that aggressive treatment is in order. Pei and colleagues also address the therapeutic use of antibiotics in combination with androgen deprivation therapy or chemotherapy to reduce bacteria that seem to increase resistance to them.

What can you do?

While scientists are busy analyzing how the trillions of organisms we host in our bodies help and hinder us, the best thing you can do is embrace dietary health. The authors rightly note that microbial profiles may be influenced by diet, where we live (geography), and other factors such as race/ethnicity. How many of these are within our control? We inherit our genes, and factors such as family and work limit our geographic location. Obviously, the one element on that short list is our food. As the authors remind us, “Diet (e.g., high-fat diets) and antibiotic use can significantly alter the gut flora structure, potentially influencing PCa risk through the ‘microbial-immune-metabolic’ axis.” A diverse microbiome fosters healthier bodies, whereas lopsided bacterial populations that with diets that are heavy in red meat, saturated fats, sugar, processed foods, etc. Such diets are heavily implicated in obesity, diabetes, metabolic disorders and…CANCER. No one wants your gut health more than Mother Nature. She gives us our marching orders by providing the best whole foods, plant-forward diet on earth. Eat up!

NOTE: This content is solely for purposes of information and does not substitute for diagnostic or medical advice. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing pelvic pain, or have any other health concerns or questions of a personal medical nature.

References

[i] Ba?c? U, Ulusan Ba?c? Ö. The bibliometric analysis of documents concerning the relationship between the microbiota and urological malignancies. J Med Microbiol. 2025 Jul;74(7):002041.
[ii] Laaraj J, Lachance G, Bergeron A, Fradet Y, Robitaille K, Fradet V. New insights into gut microbiota-prostate cancer crosstalk. Trends Mol Med. 2025 May 6:S1471-4914(25)00087-5.
[iii] Pei X, Liu L, Han Y. Advances in human microbiome and prostate cancer research. Front Immunol. 2025 Apr 14;16:1576679.