Fecal microbiome transfer an investigative tool and treatment strategy in cancer

The gut microbiome plays a critical role in the development, progression, and treatment of cancer. As interest in microbiome-immune-cancer interactions expands, the prevalence of fecal microbial transplant (FMT) models has increased proportionally. However, current literature does not provide adequate details or consistent approaches to allow for necessary rigor and experimental reproducibility. In this review, we evaluate key studies utilizing FMT to investigate the relationship between the gut microbiome and various types of cancer. Additionally, we will discuss the common pitfalls of these experiments and methods for improved standardization and validation as the field utilizes FMT with greater frequency. Last, this review focuses on the impacts of the gut and extra-intestinal microbes, pre-biotics, pro-biotics, and post-biotics in cancer risk and response to therapy across a variety of tumor types.