Inflammation and cancer: advances and new agents

• Published in: Nature reviews. Clinical oncology Vol. 12; no. 10; pp. 584 - 596
• Main Authors: Crusz, Shanthini M., Balkwill, Frances R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.10.2015; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/154/51/1568; 631/250/256; 692/308/2779/109; 692/699/67/1059/2325; 692/699/67/580; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - administration & dosage; Carcinogenesis; Chemoprevention; Complications and side effects; Disease Progression; Humans; Immune response; Immunotherapy; Inflammation; Inflammation - physiopathology; Medicine & Public Health; Neoplasms - immunology; Neoplasms - prevention & control; Observations; Oncology; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; review-article; Risk factors
• ISSN: 1759-4774; 1759-4782
• DOI: 10.1038/nrclinonc.2015.105

Key Points Inflammation and innate immunity have a vital and complex role in driving tumorigenesis Strong epidemiological and preclinical data support an anti-inflammatory approach to prevention and treatment of cancer Several therapeutic agents targeting inflammatory cytokines, transcription factors and immune cells are being developed and tested in the clinical setting Current successes of treatments targeting adaptive immunity indicate a great need to further our clinical understanding of the inflammatory and innate immune system to identify further targets for cancer treatment Combining treatments that target the adaptive and innate immune systems in the tumour microenvironment might be advantageous Tumour-promoting inflammation is an enabling characteristic of many cancers. Conversely, many cancers can cause inflammation. Inflammation in the tumour microenvironment arises from the interplay of many different inflammatory cells and mediators, many of which are potential treatment targets. Herein, the authors review our current knowledge of the interplay between inflammation and tumorigenesis and discuss the potential of treatments that target cancer-related inflammation. Tumour-promoting inflammation is considered one of the enabling characteristics of cancer development. Chronic inflammatory disease increases the risk of some cancers, and strong epidemiological evidence exists that NSAIDs, particularly aspirin, are powerful chemopreventive agents. Tumour microenvironments contain many different inflammatory cells and mediators; targeting these factors in genetic, transplantable and inducible murine models of cancer substantially reduces the development, growth and spread of disease. Thus, this complex network of inflammation offers targets for prevention and treatment of malignant disease. Much potential exists in this area for novel cancer prevention and treatment strategies, although clinical research to support targeting of cancer-related inflammation and innate immunity in patients with advanced-stage cancer remains in its infancy. Following the initial successes of immunotherapies that modulate the adaptive immune system, we assert that inflammation and innate immunity are important targets in patients with cancer on the basis of extensive preclinical and epidemiological data. The adaptive immune response is heavily dependent on innate immunity, therefore, inhibiting some of the tumour-promoting immunosuppressive actions of the innate immune system might enhance the potential of immunotherapies that activate a nascent antitumour response.