Bacteria May Promote Some Breast Cancers

We’re learning more and more about the roles different bacteria can play in human health, even beyond the infections some of them can cause. Our microbiomes, or the cultures of bacteria and other microbes that live in and on our bodies, can affect multiple aspects of both our physical and mental well-being. But many of us may not know that imbalances of some bacteria could even be responsible for some cancers. New research has uncovered a bacterial strain sometimes present in the human gut that may travel to breast tissue and trigger deadly tumors. We have the details.

Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides Fragilis (ETBF)

Researchers have worked long and hard to unravel the mysteries behind breast cancer. They’ve determined some genetic and environmental factors, but those don’t account for all malignancies. 

Bacteroides fragilis (B. fragilis) is a bacterium that sometimes colonizes the human intestinal tract. It secretes a toxin that can cause tissue damage and inflammation; when the microbiome is out of balance, the bacteria can crowd out beneficial strains and spread out of control, leading to diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease. Experts believe B. fragilis is also one cause behind certain colon cancers.

And recently, one alarming thing happened: researchers have discovered cultures of B. fragilis living in cancerous breast tissue. To test whether there was a connection, they exposed mice to the bacterium, both orally and by injection straight to the mammary tissue. In both cases, the mice developed mammary tumors within weeks of exposure. These findings support the idea that some forms of cancer could be the direct result of microbiome imbalances and that bacteria in the gut can travel to other areas of the body, where they may trigger tumors.

Promoting a Healthy Microbiome

In the case of tumors brought on by B. fragilis infections, dysbiosis, which is an overgrowth of harmful bacteria,  appears to be responsible. A comparison of the microbiomes in healthy women with those in women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer shows notable differences in the types of bacteria between the two.

Often, harmful microbes become dominant when beneficial ones get pushed out, and certain lifestyle choices may tip that balance.

The good news is, we can give our guts their best chance at being healthy by keeping our microbiomes as diverse as possible, says Healthline. We can extend our gut diversity by:

• Eating a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains
• Including fermented foods in the diet
• Avoiding artificial sweeteners
• Keeping processed foods to a minimum

Healthy eating might not safeguard everyone from all health complications, but it can probably go a long way in reducing them. Some choices may even protect against some types of cancer.

There is a constant microscopic war raging in each of us, with our guts serving as the main battlefield. When certain lines get crossed, other areas of our bodies could end up getting hit in the crossfire. We may find in further research that our best defense for good health is a healthy microbial offense. 

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