There is a significant difference in the gut microbiota of patients with prostate cancer compared to those who have benign biopsies, according to a study presented at the European Association of Urology annual congress (EAU22) in Amsterdam.
Professor Peter Bostrom and colleagues at the University of Turku collected microbiota samples from patients at the time of their prostate biopsies after MRI scans. They then sequenced the gut microbiota of one hundred and eighty-one patients who were suspected of having prostate cancer and undergoing prostate cancer diagnostics.
The study found that sixty percent of the participants were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and their gut microbiota profiles were significantly different from those who had benign biopsies. Furthermore, they found that those with prostate cancer had increased levels of Prevotella 9, members of the family Erysipelotrichaceae, and Escherichia-Shigella, a pathogen that causes diarrhea. They also had lower levels of Jonquetella, Moryella, Anaeroglobus, Corynebacterium, and CAG-352 than men without cancer.
“There are significant variations in prostate cancer rates around the world, which could be due to genetic factors or differences in healthcare policies, but also variance in lifestyle and diet.” Professor Bostrom stated. “The difference in gut microbiota between men with and without prostate cancer could underpin some of these variations. More research is needed to look at the potential for using gut microbiota for both diagnostic and preventive strategies.”
Even though the finding is just an association, the authors say that it could help explain some of the links between lifestyle factors and differences in prostate cancer rates in different parts of the world.
“This is a striking finding from a large, well-conducted trial.” wrote Lars Dyrskjøt Andersen, Professor of Molecular Medicine at Aarhus University and member of the EAU22 Scientific Congress Committee of Urology. “We should be careful with observed associations when it comes to complicated epidemiology, and no cause-and-effect measures can be determined based on this, but certainly the gut microbiota could be an important area to investigate further to enhance our understanding of prostate cancer risk.”
Source: Medical Net News
