TY - JOUR T1 - Does the gut microbiome environment influence response to systemic breast cancer treatment? A1 - Bruce, Eilidh A1 - Makaranka, Stanislau A1 - Urquhart, Gordon A1 - Elsberger, Beatrix Y1 - 2021/// VL - 2 KW - breast cancer KW - dysbiosis KW - estrobolome KW - gut microbiome KW - gut microbiota N2 - The gut microbiome is a novel player in the pathogenesis and treatment of breast cancer. The term “microbiome” is used to describe the diverse community of micro-organisms existing within the gastrointestinal tract. The gut microbiome plays an important role in oestrogen metabolism through its ability to deconjugate oestrogens within the gut resulting in their reabsorption. Therefore, it is not unsurprising that “dysbiosis”, the disruption of normal gut microbiota composition, is now thought to play a role in the development of the disease, as women with breast cancer have been shown to have altered gut microbiota and this has been correlated with tumour characteristics. There is emerging evidence to suggest that the gut microbiota may also impact on breast cancer treatment, by mediating both drug efficacy and toxicity. The present review will discuss the influence of the gut microbiota on systemic treatments for breast cancer, including chemotherapy, anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) therapy, endocrine therapy and immunotherapy as well as other targeted treatments. SP - 374 EP - 384 ER -