Chronic inflammation, immunosuppression and cancer: New insights and outlook

• Published in: Seminars in cancer biology Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 80 - 88
• Main Author: Baniyash, Michal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2006
• Subjects: Cancer; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Immunosuppression; Immunotherapy; Inflammation; Inflammation - complications; Inflammation - immunology; Neoplasms - diagnosis; Neoplasms - immunology; Neoplasms - therapy; Immunosuppression; Inflammation; Immunotherapy; Cancer
• ISSN: 1044-579X; 1096-3650
• DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2005.12.002

A substantial body of evidence supports the notion that chronic inflammation and cancer are connected. This association is apparent under two circumstances: (1) chronic inflammation can predispose an individual to cancer, as demonstrated by the association between inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer, chronic pancreatitis with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and hepatitis with hepatocellular carcinoma, and (2) developing tumors induce a local and/or systemic chronic inflammatory environment associated with enhanced tumor development and metastasis. The common denominator in the two modes by which chronic inflammation associates with cancer is the development of an immunosuppressive environment, enabling escape of the tumor from immune surveillance. This review describes the evidence available today explaining the molecular basis for inflammation-associated immunosuppression and its link with cancer development and progression. A thorough understanding of this connection could lead to novel approaches for prevention and treatment of cancer and thus overcome some of the limitations of currently used anti-neoplastic immunotherapeutic regimens. Moreover, improved knowledge of this link will enable development of preventive therapies for patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, known to be of high risk for developing cancer.