Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37754529›Full record

ArticleCurrent oncology (Toronto, Ont.)2023

The Impact of Oral Antibiotics Prior to Cancer Diagnosis on Overall Patient Survival: Findings from an English Population-Based Cohort Study.

Eleni Domzaridou, Tjeerd Van Staa, Andrew G Renehan, Natalie Cook, William Welfare, Darren M Ashcroft, Victoria Palin

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Gut microbiota modulation of systemic immunity and cancer immunotherapy: mechanisms, evidence, and therapeutic implications.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Harnessing the microbiome for cancer therapy.Nature reviews. Microbiology · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Gut microbiota shapes cancer immunotherapy responses.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2025
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Review
  11. Understanding the relationship between breast cancer, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and gut microbiota: a narrative review.Translational breast cancer research : a journal focusing on translational research in breast cancer · 2024
    Review
  12. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Eleni DomzaridouNational Institute for Health and Care Research Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0096-1288
Tjeerd Van StaaCentre for Health Informatics, Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Science, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9363-742X
Andrew G RenehanCentre for Health Informatics, Manchester Cancer Research Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
Natalie CookDivision of Cancer Science, School of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2606-1082
William WelfarePublic Health England Northwest, 3 Piccadilly Place, London Road, Manchester M1 3BN, UK.
Darren M AshcroftNational Institute for Health and Care Research Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2958-915X
Victoria PalinCentre for Health Informatics, Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Science, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre · GBUniversity of Manchester · GBPublic Health England · GBUtrecht University · NL

Funding

Connected Health Cities - Department of Health R119732
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is limited evidence in humans as to whether antibiotics impact the effectiveness of cancer treatments. Rodent studies have shown that disruption in gut microbiota due to antibiotics decreases cancer therapy effectiveness. We evaluated the associations between the antibiotic treatment of different time periods before cancer diagnoses and long-term mortality.

methodsUsing the Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD, linked to the Cancer Registry's and the Office for National Statistics' mortality records, we delineated a study cohort that involved cancer patients who were prescribed antibiotics 0-3 months; 3-24 months; or more than 24 months before cancer diagnosis. Patients' exposure to antibiotics was compared according to the recency of prescriptions and time-to-event (all-cause mortality) by applying Cox models.

results111,260 cancer patients from England were included in the analysis. Compared with antibiotic prescriptions that were issued in the past, patients who had been prescribed antibiotics shortly before cancer diagnosis presented an increased hazard ratio (HR) for mortality. For leukaemia, the HR in the Cancer Registry was 1.32 (95% CI 1.16-1.51), for lymphoma it was 1.22 (1.08-1.36), for melanoma it was 1.28 (1.10-1.49), and for myeloma it was 1.19 (1.04-1.36). Increased HRs were observed for cancer of the uterus, bladder, and breast and ovarian and colorectal cancer.

conclusionsAntibiotics that had been issued within the three months prior to cancer diagnosis may reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Judicious antibiotic prescribing is needed among cancer patients.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsNeoplasmsAdministration, OralAdultAgedCohort StudiesEnglandFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesAnti-Bacterial Agentsantibioticsantimicrobial resistancecancer therapyCPRD

Identifiers

PMID37754529
PMCPMC10528751
OpenAlexW4386779542

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.