Posted on 06/01/2025 8:07:45 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Chemotherapy doesn't just kill cancer cells. It also affects the microbes in the digestive tract. Researchers have discovered that some gut bacteria can reduce the side effects of these potent treatments, and that one family of cancer drugs may actually boost these protective bacteria.
The phenomenon could help physicians to predict the severity of a patient's side effects, and it points the way to supplements that could help those whose guts aren't sufficiently protecting them.
Turnbaugh's team found colorectal cancer patients taking a class of chemotherapy drugs known as fluoropyrimidines had less diverse microbiomes in their digestive systems. But the surviving bacteria did something amazing.
"They were able to gobble up the chemotherapy and chemically transform it into a harmless byproduct," said Kai Trepka.
The team also saw that measuring the abundance of helpful bacteria could predict whether a patient would develop the kind of severe side effects, like nausea or vomiting, that make it hard for people to complete their treatment.
When the researchers gave these drug-processing microbes to mice experiencing severe chemotherapy side effects, symptoms greatly improved, suggesting that humans may be able to use the bacteria as probiotics.
A second study revealed that the microbiome can also protect patients from the painful numbness or tingling sensation that is another common side effect of chemotherapy, by producing vitamin K2.
When the researchers looked at the microbiomes of 56 colon cancer patients, they saw again that the fluoropyrimidine drugs had killed off some of the organisms and bolstered the populations of others.
Among those that thrived during chemotherapy was a nonpathogenic strain of E. coli that produced vitamin K2. The researchers gave K2 to mice who'd been treated with fluoropyrimidine drugs, and their side effects resolved.
Patients who reported fewer side effects also had more K2 in their microbiomes.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Interesting, yet strange.
I am undergoing chemo and I take K2 supplements and, compared to what I hear from other cancer patients, my side effects, after the very early sessions, have been relatively mild. Mrs. fidelis got me started on them so she was ahead of the curve on this as she is on most other things.
I take K2Mk7 every morning and have for years. It’s one of the vitamins my very smart MD prescribes among several others.
very reasonable at AMZ.
Smart wife. I’m sure you’ll be OK.
I have yogurt for dessert almost every night. My fave is black raspberry, available at Trader Joe and perhaps other stores. There are also yogurt bars available in various stores.
From the Web:
“When you eat yogurt, the beneficial bacteria consumed helps keep bad bacteria in your gut from taking over and wreaking havoc. An imbalance in gut bacteria can be caused by a number of factors, like taking antibiotics, a poor diet, and certain digestive illnesses, and could lead to a cascade of issues. Constipation, diarrhea, mental health disorders, allergies, and eczema are just some of the ailments thought to be impacted when your gut contains too many bad bacteria and not enough good. Consuming enough probiotics through yogurt, other fermented foods, and supplements helps maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria.”
My oncologist at M.D. Anderson told me that rads kill cancer cells and the chemo only assists the rads. Without the rads the chemo would not have much effect but maybe things have changed since 2017.
This could be good, if they take the next step and get it to the patients before my wife’s cancer kills her.
“Helps” is kind of a useless word. I guess if it obviously doesn’t hurt then it must be helping.
bump for reference
Can anyone here point me to where I can learn about vitamins and supplements?
More specifically, companies that will tell you their sources of ingredients.
The biggest scam is MADE IN USA.
They will take foreign crap and assemble it in USA.
Is there a single outfit that will reveal their ingredient sources ? Country ? India, China, Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil etc
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