Potential of yeast probiotics as immunomodulators: a new frontier in cancer management

Probiotic yeasts have attracted attention for immunological and functional advantages. They alter inflammatory pathways through immune system induction activities, mitigating some cancer-related immune system pathways, and can be an option in treating inflammation-related diseases such as cancer. Current research has directed to survey mechanisms behind the anti-cancer effects of this genus. It has been demonstrated how probiotic yeasts can be used in managing cancer incidence alone or with other current cancer therapies. This could be possible through their potential in suppression of tumor progression by up-regulating apoptosis, activating immune cells, secreting cytokines, managing inflammation by gut microbiome improvement, and helping short-chain fatty acids production. Recent studies have focused on this genus due to its characteristics, ranging from their capacity to survive in the human gastrointestinal tract, resistance to antibiotics, and lack the ability to transfer genetic elements such as antibiotic resistance genes to pathogenic microorganisms. This review surveys anti-cancer potential of probiotic yeasts through their distinct effects, such as managing inflammation and modulating the immune system, and summarizes current studies of probiotic yeasts. The literature search was conducted from 2000 to 2025, with 2% of reviewed studies before 2000. The databases used were PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science.