Cancer and systemic inflammation: treat the tumour and treat the host

Roxburgh, C.S.D. and McMillan, D.C. (2014) Cancer and systemic inflammation: treat the tumour and treat the host. British Journal of Cancer, 110(6), pp. 1409-1412. (doi: 10.1038/bjc.2014.90)

Abstract

Determinants of cancer progression and survival are multifactorial and host responses are increasingly appreciated to have a major role. Indeed, the development and maintenance of a systemic inflammatory response has been consistently observed to confer poorer outcome, in both early and advanced stage disease. For patients, cancer-associated symptoms are of particular importance resulting in a marked impact on day-to-day quality of life and are also associated with poorer outcome. These symptoms are now recognised to cluster with one another with anorexia, weight loss and physical function forming a recognised cluster whereas fatigue, pain and depression forming another. Importantly, it has become apparent that these symptom clusters are associated with presence of a systemic inflammatory response in the patient with cancer. Given the understanding of the above, there is now a need to intervene to moderate systemic inflammatory responses, where present. In this context the rationale for therapeutic intervention using nonselective anti-inflammatory agents is clear and compelling and likely to become a part of routine clinical practice in the near future. The published literature on therapeutic intervention using anti-inflammatory agents for cancer-associated symptoms was reviewed. There are important parallels with the development of useful treatments for the systemic inflammatory response in patients with rheumatological disease and cardiovascular disease.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: McMillan, Professor Donald and Roxburgh, Professor Campbell
• Authors: Roxburgh, C.S.D., and McMillan, D.C.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing
• Journal Name: British Journal of Cancer
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• ISSN: 0007-0920
• ISSN (Online): 1532-1827
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2014 Cancer Research UK
• First Published: First published in British Journal of Cancer 110(6):1409-1412
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License