Friend or Foe: Exploring the Relationship between the Gut Microbiota and the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Digestive Cancers

Abstract

Digestive cancers are among the leading causes of cancer death in the world. However, the mechanisms of cancer development and progression are not fully understood. Accumulating evidence in recent years pointing to the bidirectional interactions between gut dysbiosis and the development of a specific type of gastrointestinal cancer is shedding light on the importance of this “unseen organ”—the microbiota. This review focuses on the local role of the gut microbiota imbalance in different digestive tract organs and annexes related to the carcinogenic mechanisms. Microbiota modulation, either by probiotic administration or by dietary changes, plays an important role in the future therapies of various digestive cancers.

Keywords

• digestive system cancer
• gut microbiota
• dysbiosis
• gut–organ axis
• gastrointestinal tumor development