The role of inflammation and infection in prostate cancer: Importance in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

ABSTRACT

It is currently estimated that infections and inflammatory responses are linked to 15-20% of all deaths from cancer worldwide. Many studies point to an important role of inflammation in prostate growth, although the contribution of inflammation to benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer is not completely understood. There is an unmet need for epidemiologic and molecular pathologic approaches to address the issue of inflammation and prostate cancer. Here we review the published evidence with respect to the involvement of inflammation and infection in prostate cancer. We also present an overarching hypothesis that chronic inflammation associated with aging and infection may play an important role in the etiology and progression of prostate cancer. As such, chronic inflammation may represent an important therapeutic target in prostate cancer.