Abstract:
Inflammation induced by biological, chemical, and physiological factors has long
been associated with increased risk of human cancer in various organs (Coussens and Werb
2002). Epidemiological studies indicate a strong relationship between inflammation and
carcinogenesis. For example, individuals with long-standing extensive ulcerative colitis and
Crohn's disease have a significant risk of colorectal cancer (Siegel and Sands 2006), chronic
hepatitis B and C infections in the liver predispose to hepatocellular carcinoma (Barazani,
Hiatt et al. 2007), and Helicobacter pylori infection has been established to have a causal
relationship to gastric cancer (Peter and Beglinger 2007). Within the lung, chronic
inflammatory diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, systemic sclerosis, certain
pneumoconiosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), have been implicated to
limg carcinogenesis (Brody and Spira 2006).