Inflammation and cancer: The oncogene-driven connection

Inflammation has long been suspected to contribute to tumor growth. However, the concept that oncogenes. known for decades as responsible for cell neoplastic transformation, build Lip all inflammatory pro-tumorigenic microenvironment is emerging only in the last few years. The well known oncogenes RAS and MYC have been causally linked to tumor angiogenesis through different ways. Moreover, in thyroid tumours, Where many of the genetic tumour-initiating events have been identified. the oncogenes driving tumorigenesis were proved able to induce art inflammatory program. This minireview will focus on growing evidence implicating the role of intrinsic. oncogene-driven pathways leading to pro-tumoral inflammation. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Lid. All rights reserved.