Figure 3.

Radiation-induced activation of inflammatory pathways in tumor cells. Schematical simplified representation of the complex intracellular mechanisms leading to radioresistance. Exposure to ionizing radiation leads to activation of several transcription factors modulating the expression of numerous factors promoting cancer development. Novel therapeutic approaches thus aim to interfere with the activity or expression of these factors, either in single-agent or combinatorial treatment or as supplements of the existing therapeutic concepts. Noteworthy, targeting the pro-inflammatory signaling pathways for tumor radiosensitization represents a promising novel therapeutical approach in cancer. A great variety of classical or novel drugs including nutraceuticals have the capacity to interfere with the inflammatory network in cancer and are considered as putative radiosensitizers.