Gut bacteria can impact cancer treatments

In 10 seconds? Evidence is emerging that your gut microbiota may impact how well cancer treatments work. Scientists are actively teasing apart what factors set patients up for success.

What exactly is the gut microbiota? Our digestive system is chock full of different types of  bacteria that help us derive nutrients from our food and shape our immune system. The populations of bacteria in your gut are referred to as your gut microbiota. Scientists can determine what your gut microbiota consists of by performing DNA sequencing analyses on your stool and are using these data to decipher what constitutes a ‘good’ combination of gut bacteria.