Intestinal Microbiota in Prostate Cancer Patients as a Biomarker for Radiation-INduced Toxicity (IMPRINT)

Radiotherapy (RT) of the abdomen and/or pelvis is known to cause acute and late gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities. While radiation dose and volume are known risk factors for developing such side effects, recent evidence suggests patterns of disturbance in the composition of the GI microbiota - so called "dysbiosis" - may also promote the host’s susceptibility to GI toxicities through impaired intestinal barrier function and inflammation. The IMPRINT-study aims to expand the current knowledge on the role of intestinal bacteria and their metabolites involved in the pathophysiology of radiation-induced GI toxicities by longitudinally examining the microbiota composition (feces), the associated metabolome (blood, feces and urine) and bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) (blood and feces).