The cancer in the mantle of inflammation—submandibular ductal carcinoma
After a morning checkup , A patient came to our office and saw that the patient’s left neck was red and swollen, so I asked about his medical history. It turned out that the patient was found to have tonsil inflammation 5 days ago, accompanied by fever. After going to the local clinic for anti-inflammatory injections, the symptoms improved, but 1 day ago, swelling and pain appeared in the left submandibular area again;< /p>
On the morning when I came to our hospital, I felt aggravated pain, showing severe throbbing pain, and the pain radiated to the left temporal region. Therefore, immediately came to our hospital for treatment. After CT examination, the patient’s left submandibular gland was found to have a space-occupying lesion, and surgical removal was arranged.
After surgery, the left submandibular gland was removed and submitted for examination. The results showed that the ducts in the gland were highly dilated, atypical cells could be seen in the cavity wall, and the cavity was red. Stained with no structural material, highly suspected intraductal carcinoma. Fortunately, it was discovered in time, and surgical removal was performed immediately to prevent the further development of the disease.
What appears to be inflammation of the tonsils on the surface, but the real culprit behind it turns out to be cancer.
I. Is inflammation the bane of cancer? Why?
Inflammation:
As a higher animal at the top of the biological chain – human , in the process of evolution, formed a set of advanced defense system—immune system, which can help us resist the influence of various harmful factors, the most classic means is inflammatory response .
Inflammation is a complex processand can be divided into acute and chronic.
Acute inflammatory response generally manifests redness, swelling and fever, marked by inflammatory cells in the blood ( mainly lymphocytes Under the action of chemotaxis, through the vascular wall, directional migration to the injury site, and release of lymphokines to play a role, once the injury is repaired, the inflammation is eliminated, and the tissue will return to homeostasis.
Therefore, it is normal for acute inflammatory response to play an important role in the body’s effective defense against pathogens, chemical stimuli or tissue damage in the internal and external environment , beneficial, is the guardian of health. However, uncontrolled immune responses to tissue damage can lead to autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases, which in turn can lead to cancer.
Cancer:
Cancer arises from the abnormal overgrowth of cell clones in Experience the process of induction, development, growth, and transfer; the following 6 conditions are required:
(1) Self-sufficiency and self-proliferation. This autonomy of growth can be obtained by producing growth factors through autocrine pathways, or by altering receptor proteins on the surface of cancer cells or reorganizing signaling pathways in cancer cells, allowing growth signals to function;
(2)Insensitivity to antiproliferative signals in tissues. In normal tissues, there are many signals that can inhibit cell proliferation and promote cell differentiation. Cancer cells can organize their own differentiation and avoid anti-proliferation signals by changing or activating surface receptors and overexpressing oncogenes such as c-myc. ;
(3) The ability to avoid the apoptotic process. For example, by mutating the tumor suppressor gene p53 or activating the intracellular P13K-AKT/PKB signaling pathway;
(4) Potential for unlimited replication. It can be achieved by high expression of telomerase;
(5) Angiogenesis ability. Cancer cells require blood vessels to transport nutrients and oxygen, which can promote angiogenesis by up-regulating vascular endothelial growth factor and down-regulating thrombin-1 and beta-interferon;
(6) Organizational invasion and transfer capabilities. The initial lesion is very limited in space and nutrient supply, so the tumor needs to expand its territory to ensure its own growth, which can be achieved by activating extracellular protease activity and changing the binding specificity of cadherin< /strong>.
The relationship between inflammation and tumor:
The relationship between inflammation and cancer has been around for more than 100 years It was discovered years ago!
About 150 years ago, Rudolf Virch in Germanyow observed massive leukocyte infiltration in tumor tissue, and thus speculated that cancer is similar to the chronic inflammatory process of wound healing. Epidemiological and clinical studies support his speculation and show that approximately 25% of adult tumors are caused by chronic inflammation.
Researchers at The Ohio State University Medical Center and Comprehensive Cancer Center found that inflammation stimulates increased levels of a microRNA molecule (miR-155), which leads to Decreased levels of proteins involved in DNA repair lead to a higher rate of spontaneous gene mutation, which is more likely to cause cancer.
S1P plays an important regulatory role in the “inflammatory-cancer chain”
According to the United States According to reports from the Physicists Organization Network and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in the current popular “inflammation-cancer chain” research, American scientists have revealed a new link between chronic inflammation and cancer.
Scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center Dr. Sarah Speyer, Dr. Tamaz Kadura, and their collaborators discovered that a type of cancer called S1P (1- Phosphate-sphingosine (phospho-sphingosine) lipid mediator plays an important regulatory role in inflammation and cancer.
S1P is a mediator in the blood that can affect the circulation of immune cells and can effectively stimulate cell growth. This study proposes that S1P is a missing cofactor that is required for tumor receptor-associated factor 2 activity.
Through the action of S1P and kinases, sphingosine kinase 1 can serve as a key regulator of many fundamental biological processes affecting human health and disease. The key regulator, NF-kappaB, a nuclear transcription factor with multiple functions in gene transcription, acts as a master switch that controls inflammation and cancer.
In conclusion, inflammation and cancer are causally linked. In some cancers, an inflammatory condition precedes the development of malignancy; in another, oncogenic changes drive a tumor-promoting inflammatory environment.
Irrespective of the order of the two,inflammation can have different promoting effects at different stages of cancer development through inflammatory cells and inflammatory cytokines.
Second, don’t let inflammation become cancer. When these kinds of inflammations appear in the body, don’t delay.
1. Gastric ulcer and gastric cancer
Early gastric cancer is difficult to distinguish from gastric ulcer, gastritis, gastric erosion and other diseases , Patients who have been diagnosed with gastric ulcer, gastritis and patients who are still ineffective after treatment should be checked as soon as possible.
Because the part where gastritis occurs may become cancerous, which looks like a stomach ulcer on the surface, but may hide in the depression of the stomach If there are cancer cells, if it is found to be gastric cancer, it will be relatively late to perform an angiography examination.
2. Esophagitis and esophageal cancer
In general, these two diseases A gastroscope can be used to check the esophagus. Early esophageal cancer has no symptoms, and it is difficult to distinguish it from diseases such as esophagitis and atypical epithelial cancer. However, it can be identified during gastroscopy, so if esophagitis occurs, seek medical attention in time.
3. Hepatitis and liver cancer
Most patients with liver cancer have suffered from hepatitis or liver cirrhosis medical history. Therefore, the above-mentioned patients should have regular ultrasound examinations, CT examinations, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) tests for early detection.
4. Pulmonary tuberculosis, focal pneumonia and lung cancer
Early lung cancer can be diagnosed by examining lung shadows, However, if the lesion is less than 1 cm, it is very difficult to distinguish it from pulmonary tuberculosis or focal pneumonia. Generally speaking, only 20% of patients with lung cancer will have symptoms in the early stage, such as coughing, blood in sputum. 80% of the patients are asymptomatic, and many people are already at an advanced stage when they seek medical treatment.
5. Laryngeal polyps and laryngeal cancer
Smokers must be aware of One type of cancer is throat cancer. Its early symptoms are hoarseness, and people often go to the doctor for hoarseness, but most diagnoses are laryngeal polyps, laryngitis and other conditions. Patients should note that if the hoarseness persists for one to two weeks, they should go to the otolaryngologist for examination.
Also, there is a type of throat cancer that grows near the entrance to the esophagus called hypopharyngeal head cancer. Most patients will alsoSymptoms such as hoarseness occur, and some patients may feel that their throat is blocked or choked when eating or drinking. Most of its patients are middle-aged and often have tonsil hypertrophy at the base of the tongue.
6.Cervicitis and cervical cancer caused by HPV infection
High-risk human papillomavirus infection caused Cervical inflammation, if not treated, may develop into cervical cancer in 8 to 10 years. Prevention methods are mainly cervical cancer vaccination, safe sex and regular cervical cancer screening.
When the body has an inflammatory response, in addition to taking medication, changes in diet should also be made. These foods are “natural anti-inflammatory drugs”, you can find out.
Third, these foods that can help reduce chronic inflammation in the body are ready to eat
Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Science and Technology Deciphers the Link Between Diet, Inflammation and Cancer.
Recent studies have shown that a variety of tumors are closely related to diet. In a new study, researchers from the Institute of Nutrition, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, unraveled the relationship between diet, inflammation and tumorigenesis. The research results were published online in the journal PLoS One.
The article mentioned that using animal experiments, researchers found that high-fat diet can interact with IL-22 (a cytokine that can participate in the functional regulation of inflammatory responses) )Inflammatory reactions caused by overexpression work together to eventually lead to tumorigenesis. This unexpected finding further validates the critical function of dietary factors in tumorigenesis.
What are the foods that can reduce chronic inflammation in the body?
Unrefined whole grains, whole grains. Studies have found that higher dietary fiber (eg, grain) intake is associated with lower levels of inflammation.
In a new study published in JAMA Network Open, a research team from Harvard University assessed dietary fiber intake and levels of inflammation and heart disease in older adults. relationship to the incidence of vascular disease.
Researchers investigated an ongoing cohort of the American Elderly Cardiovascular Health Study involving dietary intake, Detailed data on inflammation, and incidence of cardiovascular disease.
They found that a increase in cereal fiber intake significantly reduced levels of inflammation and lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Cereal foods include: millet, brown rice, and high-quality legumes such as mung beans, peas, etc.
Fish. Omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit inflammation. People with chronic inflammation such as salmon, sardines, and wrong fish can eat some of them properly.
Fruits and vegetables. All leafy greens are rich in magnesium, which helps reduce inflammation, and apples, citrus, grapes and dark leafy greens are rich in polyphenols such as carrots, Yellow-orange foods like pumpkin are rich in carotene, two substances that also help reduce inflammation. It is recommended that adults consume 300-500g of vegetables and 200-350g of fruits per day.
Tea. Tea such as white tea, green tea, and oolong tea are rich in catechins, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Condiments. Ingredients like ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and cinnamon are packed with natural anti-inflammatory substances like curcumin.
In addition, these foods are accomplices of inflammation: high-fat foods, sweets, fried foods, processed meats, excessive alcohol, etc. Patients with inflammation should pay attention to avoid eating these kinds of foods.