Antibiotics use linked to poor survival in MBC??
Hi everybody
I just read several studies that link antibiotics use to worst oucome in breast cancer...
But been metastatic with continue cures and low white blood cells I unfortunately have to use them from time to time. Now I got a cold with ear infection and I'm terrified to have to take them, after I'm reading all this!
Do anybody else get antibiotics prescribed for infections, or your MO try to avoid them? I think my oncologist doesn't know about this...
Anybody ear about this topic before or know anything about?
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Do you have a link to these studies?
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043661820313803
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Some are about breast cancer, some about metastatic breast cancer. If you type on google MBC and antibiotics some come out...
I don't want to freack out nobody, but I'm concerned...
I just want to understand if it is something that other oncologists are aware, and so try to avoid them, or if it is not that important...
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Though there is certainly reason to explore this issue further, the research cited is a bit inconclusive and does not suggest anything actionable at the moment. Personally, this is too preliminary for me to worry about and if I truly had a need for antibiotics, I would take them.
“Conclusions
The association of antibiotics with breast cancer risk appears to differ between the various antibiotic classes. Whether this association is causal remains unclear, requiring further clarification and mechanistic studies”
This is the concluding paragraph from the last two articles you cited.
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Yes you are right.
Thank you very much for your answer. I'm a little relieved
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@amel_83, a lot of the research suggests the issue may lie with the gut flora. I always take pro-biotics for my gut flora - it seems to help with some of the side effects I get when taking anti-biotics. In any case there is also research around that suggests ant-biotics may help treat cancer. So, I think there is a lot of research to be done in this area before we are close to a definitive answer.
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malleemiss251,
Good point about the gut flora which is mentioned in the articles Amel cited.
I think, in general, many articles and preliminary research projects, can indicate that something may result in XYZ problem. Notice how my sentence was couched in indefinite terms. Those preliminary studies, if thought promising enough, then get funding to research/study the situation further.
I am not a doctor or medical professional but I generally understand the research process (though retired, I am an avid consumer of educational research). I don’t know if doctors are aware or how much credence they give to such preliminary observations. Certainly these articles do not even remotely suggest anything actionable with respect to bc and antibiotics.1 -
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amel, I’ve been living with mbc for over 13 years. From time to time during those years, I’ve had to take antibiotics for things like step throat or bronchitis. I would not hesitate to take them again if needed.
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I had IV antibiotics in the beginning of 2022 and I got very severe gastric distress from it. However, my breast cancer scans continued to be NEAD.
That said, I have seen articles that show researchers are exploring a link between gut microbiome and breast cancer. Not very clear on the details but the link may be something genetic or natural to the patient rather than something caused by antibiotics
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I have COPD and now diverticulitis in addition to MBC so antibiotics are kind of unavoidable. I also just got out of the hospital and was loaded with IV antibiotics while in there. I also had multiple courses all winter because my immune system was so bad that I was sick all winter. So obviously the medical community knows nothing about the problem. That being said I just stopped a course of antibiotics mid treatment because I had diarrhea so bad. First time in my life not finishing a full course of antibiotics. I would have never in my prior life. But these are new times and more than desperate circumstances. I am driving an hour one way for treatment too. It's all one act of desperation after another. One crisis after the next.
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jlgarber,
Yes, antibiotics can wreak havoc with intestinal function whether one has cancer or not. But this very preliminary study shouldn’t be worrying. Take care
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