Chennai: Antibiotics are usually considered harmful to the body if taken above the prescribed limit, but it is now found that it also reduces the effectiveness of cancer treatment.
A research on around 303 people undergoing cancer treatment was presented at American Society of Clinical Oncology that revealed, cancer patients who took antibiotics during immuno-therapy treatment lived about half as long as those who avoided the drugs, 317 days versus 651 days for those who did not take antibiotics. Those who took multiple dose of antibiotics survived only for 193 days.
The study found out that patients who did not take antibiotics had 178 days of time without cancer progression, while those who consumed antibiotics had only 97 days. Those who took multiple courses of antibiotics had only 87 days. About one-third of all the patients suffering from with melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer and renal cancer received antibiotics either two weeks before or six weeks into their cancer therapy.
The research conducted at Christie NHS Foundation highlighted the need of maintaining balance while consuming antibiotics. The antibiotics are needed for preventing or treating life-threatening infections but it can affect the treatments in cancer patients, say authors of the research. The demographic information, prior treatment and duration of sickness were also considered for the research.
When undergoing cancer treatment with immuno-therapy, cancer patients are prescribed drugs that activate body’s immune system against cancer cells. Researchers say that it is usually the bacteria present in the digestive system that encourage activity in the toxin rich gut and activate the immune system of our body.
However, as per the researchers, antibiotics affect the action of bacteria and thus, the immune system. The immuno-therapy treatment for cancer patient is turned less effective as lack of bacteria in the gut makes the immune system less active.
Medicos say that antibiotics should be consumed only when medically necessary and oncologists need to consider the other prescriptions of the cancer patient while the patient is on immuno-therapy. Oncologists say that though there is need of more evident information on the subject and effect of antibiotics on cancer treatments, antibiotics should never be given unnecessarily.
