Microorganisms within the gut and other niches may contribute to carcinogenesis, as well as shaping cancer immunosurveillance and response to immunotherapy. Our understanding of the complex relationship between different host-intrinsic microorganisms, as well as the multifaceted mechanisms by which they influence health and disease, has grown tremendously-hastening development of novel therapeutic strategies that target the microbiota to improve treatment outcomes in cancer. Accordingly, the evaluation of a patient's microbial composition and function and its subsequent targeted modulation represent key elements of future multidisciplinary and precision-medicine approaches. In this Review, we outline the current state of research toward harnessing the microbiome to better prevent and treat cancer.
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