The present invention relates to the role of the microbiota in the efficacy of cancer treatments with a drug blocking an. immune checkpoint and provides methods and probiotics to improve the efficacy of such a treatment in patients in need thereof. More particularly, the invention pertains to the use of vancomycin or penicillin to modulate the gut microbiota to potentiate the anticancer effects of anti-CTLA4 molecules. B. fragilis or fecal microbial transplantation of a defined composition enriched in immunogenic Bacteroides spp. can also be used as a probiotic to that aim.