(UroToday.com) As part of the new directions in the management of systemic therapy session at the European International Kidney Cancer Symposium 2021 virtual meeting, Dr. Lisa DeRosa discussed the impact and manipulations of microbiomes as it pertains to renal cell carcinoma. Dr. DeRosa notes that there are 39-44 trillion microbes, which translates to 1.3-2.2 bacteria to every one human cell. These microbes make up 3% of human body mass and are important for processing nutrients, producing vitamins, protecting the body from new microbes, and help shape the immune system. The largest microbes are in the gastrointestinal tract (97% in the colon) and 2-3% are extracolonic in the proximal gut, skin, lungs, etc. Furthermore, microbes are involved in most cancer types:1