The chapter focuses on the role of immunity and inflammation in established cancer. From the evidence reviewed it is clear that immune and inflammatory responses, innate, humoral and adaptive, local and systemic, are intimately linked to the tumour and themselves and impact on cancer survival. It is also possible to identify key mediators that may be targeted in the cancer patient. However, further work is required to elucidate the mechanisms by which these immune and inflammatory responses are activated, maintained, and interact. Therapeutic intervention using non-selective anti-inflammatory agents is widely advocated and likely to become part of routine clinical practice in the near future. Selective therapeutic intervention directed at the immune and inflammatory responses in cancer is in its infancy. Therefore, it would appear that, at least in non-hereditary disease, immune and inflammatory responses are of key, if not of prime, importance in tumour progression and dissemination.
Placental pathology of recurrent spontaneous abortion: the role of histopathological examination of products of conception in routine clinical practice: a mini review
