Inflammation and Cancer

[Matthew Capowski]

Balkwill F, Mantovani A. Inflammation and cancer: back to Virchow? Lancet. 2002;357:539–545 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11229684

Coussens LM, Werb Z. Inflammation and cancer. Nature. 2002;420:860–867 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12490959

Seth Rakoff-Nahoum. Why Cancer and Inflammation? Yale journal of biology and medicine 79 (2006) 123-130 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17940622

Recent data have expanded the concept that inflammation is a critical component of tumour progression. Many cancers arise from sites of infection, chronic irritation and inflammation. It is now becoming clear that the tumour microenvironment, which is largely orchestrated by inflammatory cells, is an indispensable participant in the neoplastic process, fostering proliferation, survival and migration. In addition, tumour cells have co-opted some of the signalling molecules of the innate immune system, such as selectins, chemokines and their receptors for invasion, migration and metastasis. These insights are fostering new anti-inflammatory therapeutic approaches to cancer development.

Much more research has been done on the subject since these studies. One only has to search any medical journal for "cancer" and "inflammation" to see the increase of research being done. This thread will be for discussing and posting information about the mainstream medicine/allopathic findings linking inflammation and cancer.

The Nutritional Oncology website has a good, concise article covering the basics of the allopathic thoughts on cancer and inflammation: http://www.nutritionaloncology.org/cancerCells&Inflammation.html