Systematic review identifies dysbiosis mechanisms but no clinical evidence for dietary interventions in cancer survivor cognition.

This systematized narrative review synthesized evidence from in vivo models and observational studies on how cancer therapies damage the gut microbiome and how dietary patterns may influence long-term neurocognitive outcomes in adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer. The authors propose that chemotherapy-induced dysbiosis leads to reduced short-chain fatty acid production and intestinal barrier dysfunction, driving neuroinflammation and cognitive deficits, and that anti-inflammatory diets such as MIND and postbiotics show "measurable restorative potential." However, the review found no completed randomized controlled trials testing these interventions in cancer survivors.