[Effects of androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer on gut microbiota and treatment].

ABSTRACT

Androgen deprivation therapy is widely regarded as the first-line therapy for advanced prostate cancer. Although the initial efficacy is significant, clinical complications that arise after the therapy can reduce the patient's life quality, affect the efficacy, and even endanger their health or life due to the progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The gut microbiota is associated not only with local diseases of the intestinal tract but also with systemic diseases such as liver or neurological diseases, but its relationship with prostate cancer is less frequently studied. Androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer affects the gut microbiota of prostate cancer patients, thereby inducing relevant complications and promoting CRPC formation. In this review, we present the microecological effects of androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer on gut microbiota from the perspectives of gut microbiota diversity, intestinal microbiota structure, and functional pathways. We also propose corresponding countermeasures, such as fecal microbiota transplantation, oral antibiotics, and oral probiotics, to improve the efficacy and outcome of androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer by regulating gut microbiota, and provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of advanced prostate cancer.