The Microbiome and Urologic Cancers: In “Inflammation, Infection, and Microbiome in Cancers: Evidence, Mechanisms, and Implications”

Cancers of the urinary system are likely to be influenced by both the urinary and gut microbiotas. While commensal organisms do not densely colonize the urinary system, those present still play a significant role in health and disease. Like other organs, there is always a potential for malignancy to occur when microorganisms cause chronic inflammation. Additionally, the urinary system is commonly exposed to the waste products in the body, including those microbial metabolites from the gut which have entered the circulation. It is, therefore, possible that the microbiota of different sites contributes to the process of carcinogenesis through metabolic toxification and detoxification as well as immune interactions. The emerging clinical evidence also suggests a prominent role for microbiota in affecting the efficacy of cancer therapeutics, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy agents.