The role of the gut microbiota in human cancer: the power of an equilibrium

Normally, the bacteria residing in our gut, the so-called gut microbiota, live in a balance and closely interact with the human body. However, this balance can be disturbed, for instance by the development and subsequent treatment of human cancer. This dissertation investigated the effects of chemotherapy and cancer cachexia (a syndrome which is characterized by severe muscle loss) on the gut microbiota. Furthermore, it evaluated whether prebiotics could be used to counteract these effects by stimulating gut bacteria with beneficial properties. While the gut microbiota currently receives little attention during anti-cancer treatment, the insights gained in the context of this thesis could contribute to establishing gut microbiota-modulating interventions in cancer patients in the future.