Figure 1.

Types of inflammation in tumorigenesis and cancer.

Chronic inflammation associated with infections or autoimmune disease precedes tumor development and can contribute to it through induction of oncogenic mutations, genomic instability, early tumor promotion, and enhanced angiogenesis. Prolonged exposure to environmental irritants or obesity can also result in low-grade chronic inflammation that precedes tumor development and contributes to it through the mechanisms mentioned above. Tumor-associated inflammation goes hand in hand with tumor development. This inflammatory response can enhance neo-angiogenesis, promote tumor progression and metastatic spread, cause local immunosuppression, and further augment genomic instability. Cancer therapy can also trigger an inflammatory response by causing trauma, necrosis, and tissue injury that stimulate tumor re-emergence and resistance to therapy. However, in some cases, therapy-induced inflammation can enhance antigen presentation, leading to immune-mediated tumor eradication. Tumor promoting mechanisms are in red and anti-tumorigenic mechanisms are in green.