The Dangers of Antibiotic Overuse, Study
A study out of the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University has found more evidence that antibiotic use can hamper cancer treatment, and it’s believed to be related to the way some treatments depend on the gut’s microbiota to activate the T-cells that drive the treatment’s response. In newer therapies, the effect of these drugs is mixed, but it has a definite negative impact on certain types of cancer treatment.
Trillions of viruses, bacteria and fungi make up the microbiota in our gut, helping us to digest food and keep invaders at bay. Antibiotics destroy all of the bacteria in the gut, taking out the natural and helpful parts in addition to the harmful ones. That’s why diarrhea and stomach upset are pretty common when you take antibiotics; even a single course is enough to wreak havoc on gut microbiota for a long time. According to the study, long-term antibiotic use also affects the immune response, which is a particularly big problem in cancer patients with already weak immune systems.