Changes in the Vaginal Microbiome and Associated Toxicities Following Radiation Therapy for Gynecologic Cancers.

ABSTRACT: Postmenopausal women often suffer from vaginal symptoms associated with atrophic vaginitis. Additionally, gynecologic cancer survivors may live for decades with additional, clinically significant, persistent vaginal toxicities caused by cancer therapies, including pain, dyspareunia, and sexual dysfunction. The vaginal microbiome (VM) has been previously linked with vaginal symptoms related to menopause (i.e. dryness). Our previous work showed that gynecologic cancer patients exhibit distinct VM profiles from healthy women, with low abundance of lactobacilli and prevalence of multiple opportunistic pathogenic bacteria. Here we explore the association between the dynamics and structure of the vaginal microbiome with the manifestation and persistence of vaginal symptoms, during one yea

SUBMITTER: Tsementzi D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8580013 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature