Antibiotics and steroids, the double enemies of anticancer immunotherapy: a review of the literature

• Published in: Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy Immunotherapy, 2021-06, Vol.70 (6), p.1511-1517
• Main Authors: Meriggi, Fausto, Zaniboni, Alberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - adverse effects; Antibiotics; Cancer; Cancer Research; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions - etiology; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions - pathology; Dysbacteriosis; Dysbiosis - drug therapy; Dysbiosis - microbiology; Dysbiosis - pathology; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - immunology; Hematology; Homeostasis; Humans; Immunology; Immunotherapy; Immunotherapy - adverse effects; Inflammation; Intestinal microflora; Intestine; Literature reviews; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Microbiota; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neoplasms - microbiology; Neoplasms - pathology; Oncology; Review; Steroid hormones; Steroids - adverse effects; Toxicity; Tumors
• ISSN: 0340-7004; 1432-0851; 1432-0851
• DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02786-3

The advent of immunotherapy in onco-haematology has represented a kind of revolution that has been able to modify the prognosis of numerous tumours that until recently would have been rapidly lethal. While much is known about the mechanism of action of these drugs, relatively little is known about the factors that represent potential predictors of response and toxicity. Among these factors, the simultaneous administration of antibiotics and/or steroids seems to have a negative impact. Furthermore, several retrospective studies have highlighted the strong link between cancer and gut microbiota, regardless of the tumour site, and how microbiota, playing a key role in the prevention of systemic inflammation at various levels and in the intestinal homeostasis, can be negatively influenced by the dysbiosis caused by antibiotic therapy administered during or in the weeks immediately preceding the start of immunotherapy. Moreover, we assume that the concurrent administration of steroids, which is often necessary in cancer patients, likely results in a deleterious effect on the therapeutic outcomes of immunotherapy. In this review, we will try to clarify the evidence on the possible detrimental effects of antibiotics and steroids, which are currently considered the double enemies of anticancer immunotherapy.