# Inflammation

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/inflammation/  
OnCo record `inflammation` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The body's response to injury or infection: immune cells and fluid rush in, causing redness, heat and swelling. Short bursts heal; long-term smouldering inflammation promotes cancer.

## Summary

Chronic inflammation from infection (hepatitis B and C, H. pylori, HPV), irritation (tobacco, asbestos, acid reflux) or disease (ulcerative colitis) supplies growth factors, free radicals that mutate DNA, and blood-vessel growth, and it is estimated to underlie around a fifth of cancers; 'tumour-promoting inflammation' is a recognised enabling characteristic in the hallmarks of cancer. Yet inflammation is also how the immune system attacks tumours, and an 'inflamed' or 'hot' tumour is one full of T cells that responds well to checkpoint inhibitors. Aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs reduce colorectal cancer risk, and the inflammatory markers CRP and IL-6 track cachexia and prognosis.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: inflammatory; inflamed; chronic inflammation; anti-inflammatory; pro-inflammatory; inflammatory response

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflammation

## Connected records

- terms: [Cytokine](https://onco.cc/terms/cytokine/), [Enabling characteristic: tumour-promoting inflammation](https://onco.cc/terms/tumor-promoting-inflammation/), [Hot vs cold tumours](https://onco.cc/terms/cold-vs-hot/), [Immune system](https://onco.cc/terms/immune-system/), [Macrophage](https://onco.cc/terms/macrophage/), [Microenvironment and inflammation: tumours as wounds that do not heal](https://onco.cc/terms/microenvironment-inflammation-theory/), [Necrosis](https://onco.cc/terms/necrosis/), [Risk factor](https://onco.cc/terms/risk-factor/)
- pathways: [Inflammation & NF-κB](https://onco.cc/pathways/inflammation-nfkb/), [Theories of cancer: how the ideas connect](https://onco.cc/pathways/theories-of-cancer/)
- technologies: [Aspirin for cancer prevention and adjuvant therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/aspirin-cancer-prevention/)
- key papers: [Balkwill and Mantovani 2001: inflammation and cancer, back to Virchow?](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-balkwill-mantovani-inflammation-virchow-lancet-2001/), [Coussens and Werb 2002: inflammation and cancer](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-coussens-werb-inflammation-cancer-nature-2002/), [Gallbladder cancer](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-roa-gallbladder-cancer-primer-nat-rev-dis-primers-2022/), [Grivennikov, Greten and Karin 2010: immunity, inflammation and cancer](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-grivennikov-immunity-inflammation-cancer-cell-2010/), [Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and gallbladder cancer: a case-control study and meta-analysis](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-koshiol-salmonella-typhi-gallbladder-cancer-cancer-med-2016/)
- ideas: [Cholecystectomy or ultrasound surveillance for chronic typhoid carriers in endemic regions](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-gbc-typhoid-carrier-cholecystectomy-or-surveillance/)
- people: [Karolina Palucka](https://onco.cc/people/karolina-palucka/), [Raymond N. DuBois](https://onco.cc/people/raymond-dubois/)
- journals: [Carcinogenesis](https://onco.cc/journals/carcinogenesis/)

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