Comment Re:We've noticed this in an MRI setting (Score 1) 207
My first guess would be antibacterial soap causing weaker immune systems from lack of exposure, coupled with excessively sanitary conditions leading to inadequate bacterial diversity.
Nah. Even if you wash every single bacterium off your hands, they'll be covered again within a few minutes. And unless you wash your face every time you wash your hands, your face is covered with bacteria, mites, and all kinds of things. Got a beard? Even better. The real problem with antimicrobial soaps is that the chemicals used to kill the bacteria can be retained in tissues and potentially cause various types of human disease.
And I'm not sure what you mean by cleaning causing "inadequate bacterial diversity." Even hospitals, which actively try to sterilize their environments (as opposed to just wiping off the kitchen countertop) are rife with bacteria, including strains that occur nowhere else but in hospitals.
And some forms of cancer use a bacteria-rich biofilm [nih.gov] to help it evade the immune system.
I don't think you're reading that paper correctly. It says that biofilms may potentially play roles in the initiation and promotion (growth) of tumors, but that's not the same as saying cancer cells "use" biofilms. It's more likely that the inflammation caused by the presence of biofilms can lead to cancer.