How about some interesting news about the body as an interconnected system? It turns out that the tiny organisms that live in your intestines may well play a part in developing cancer, as well as in responding to cancer treatments.

Hopefully, the notion of trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms existing in your gut does not creep you out. Our intestines play host to these entities, known as the gut biome. It’s similar to a terrarium used in classrooms for science lessons on ecosystems. If you’ve never seen a closed terrarium, it’s described by one website as “natural ecosystem where the warmth of the natural sun and light causes the water in the soil and from plants to evaporate into the air. Water then condenses on the terrarium walls and falls back to the soil at the bottom of the terrarium. This process repeats as a self-sustaining ecosystem.” It works because the elements in the terrarium are in balance and interdependent.

What’s happening in our bodies is similarly balanced and interdependent. The 100 trillion bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc. in our bellies enjoy a hospitable home environment where they get their nutrients from our own food. However, it’s a mutually beneficial system because they help our bodies break down and digest food so nutrients can be absorbed by special structures that line the intestinal walls. This also helps our bodies synthesize vitamins. Without the help of our microscopic friends, no matter how much food we eat we would be malnourished. Thus, what we call the gut biome is a very good thing for our healthy existence!

The gut biome and cancer

In May, 2025 the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) carried a paper by a team of authors from the famous MD Anderson Cancer. It was titled “The Microbiome and Cancer”.^[i] Here are the chief points I want to share with you:

• An imbalance in the gut biome ultimately has an impact on total body wellness. It can lead to obesity and inflammation—both risk factors for cancer—and it can interfere with the immune system’s ability to fight off cancer.
• An unhealthy gut biome can lessen the effectiveness of cancer therapies such as immunotherapy. It can also alter the body’s biochemistry in a way that allows tumors to grow more quickly or become more aggressive so they don’t respond as well to cancer treatments.
• On the other hand, a healthy gut biome supports total body wellness. This reduces the risk of developing cancer in general.
• For cancer patients already in treatment, supporting microbiome health through diet or other interventions in the gut biome can help their treatment be more effective.

How to support a healthy gut biome

No two individuals have exactly the same combination of microbes but there are general principles for gut health. It may surprise you to learn that your microbiome “talks” to you in ways you might never connect with your gut bacteria. For instance, here are some symptoms that we usually connect with other conditions but may in fact be related to an unhealthy gut balance: digestive upsets, weight gain, poor sleep, skin irritations, food intolerances, even autoimmune disorders. If you’re experiencing any of these and they aren’t responding to the ways you’re trying to manage them, talk to your doctor about a test to evaluate your gut biome.

On the other hand, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Support gut health by:

1. Diet – This is a biggie! Do you eat a lot of red meat or refined/processed foods and sugars? It may be time to consider transitioning away from those patterns. Your gut biome thrives on a whole foods/plant-based high in fiber and nutrients. If you’re a meat eater, experts recommend switching to poultry and seafood for animal protein, while cutting down on dairy.
2. Get enough sleep – We need 7-8 hours of unbroken sleep for many restorative tasks from head to toe and everything in between. Digestion slows but your microbiome never sleeps. Studies show a link between sleep and the diversity of organisms (a mark of a healthy gut biome). In turn, the biome contributes to healthy sleep biochemistry.^[ii]
3. Repair the microbiome after antibiotic use – Today’s antibiotics defeat strep, staph and other infections but they also kill healthy gut bacteria. If you need an antibiotic, take the full course prescribed by your doctor but replenish healthy bacteria by eating cultured yogurt. Ask your doctor about taking a probiotic.

Gut biome and prostate cancer

Is there crosstalk between the microbes in your gut and prostate cancer (PCa)? Scientific evidence suggests yes. A gut imbalance due to poor diet and antibiotic use “can heighten systemic inflammation and hinder antitumor immunity, thereby fostering PCa onset and
progression. Conversely, certain gut microbes and their metabolites may protect against tumor growth by modulating immune and hormonal pathways that impact therapeutic responses, including androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).”^[iii] To sum up, if you value your prostate, help your gut biome to help you.

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] Fernandez E, Wargo JA, Helmink BA. The Microbiome and Cancer: A Translational Science Review. JAMA. 2025 May 12. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.2191.
[ii] Smith RP, Easson C, Lyle SM, Kapoor R et al. Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans. PLoS One. 2019 Oct 7;14(10):e0222394.
[iii] Laaraj J, Lachance G, Bergeron A, Fradet Y et al. New insights into gut microbiota-prostate cancer crosstalk. Trends Mol Med. 2025 May 6:S1471-4914(25)00087-5.