3 ms·

Is inflammation linked to cancer? Were there ever studies done on how eating sugar/stress (inflammation factors) contribute to cancer?

Gatsky 5y ago
Inflammation means many different things. There are specific cases of inflammation increasing the risk of cancer, for example inflammatory bowel disease like Ulcerative Colitis and colon cancer. At the moment, inflammation in otherwise healthy people is not well defined or characterised, so it is quite impossible to study it. On the other hand, some albeit very potent anti-inflammatory medication increases the risk of cancer (for example JAK2 inhibitors). Some conditions assocaited with chronic inflammation seem to be associated with less cancer (Familial Mediterranean Fever for example). As such I think inflammation is not the most useful concept. It is more a surrogate marker of some other undesirable behaviour related to lifestyle or diet for example, rather than a direct causative factor. Stress is similarly complicated and not well defined or easy to measure. There are different types of stress of course. It seems like moderate to severe stress isn't necessarily harmful, based on studies of I think it was Dutch women in WWII who were definitely stressed but not in Auschwitz or open combat. There is some poorly controlled data from concentration camps that extreme stress coupled with malnutrition and everything else that went on does result in more cancers, but this doesn't really help us today. Sugar is another complicated one. Any nutritional factor has different effects in different people. There is evidence that what sort of sugar you have, and even how you eat it matters (drinking sugars, especially fructose seems esepcially bad). Here it may be more relevant to consider the result of sugar intake, such as insulin resistance and high insulin levels.
- throw1234651234 5y ago
  I really appreciate the detailed reply. Really helps to hear a professional opinion for someone who doesn't know much about the topic in any real sense.

Gatsky 5y ago

Inflammation means many different things. There are specific cases of inflammation increasing the risk of cancer, for example inflammatory bowel disease like Ulcerative Colitis and colon cancer. At the moment, inflammation in otherwise healthy people is not well defined or characterised, so it is quite impossible to study it. On the other hand, some albeit very potent anti-inflammatory medication increases the risk of cancer (for example JAK2 inhibitors). Some conditions assocaited with chronic inflammation seem to be associated with less cancer (Familial Mediterranean Fever for example). As such I think inflammation is not the most useful concept. It is more a surrogate marker of some other undesirable behaviour related to lifestyle or diet for example, rather than a direct causative factor. Stress is similarly complicated and not well defined or easy to measure. There are different types of stress of course. It seems like moderate to severe stress isn't necessarily harmful, based on studies of I think it was Dutch women in WWII who were definitely stressed but not in Auschwitz or open combat. There is some poorly controlled data from concentration camps that extreme stress coupled with malnutrition and everything else that went on does result in more cancers, but this doesn't really help us today. Sugar is another complicated one. Any nutritional factor has different effects in different people. There is evidence that what sort of sugar you have, and even how you eat it matters (drinking sugars, especially fructose seems esepcially bad). Here it may be more relevant to consider the result of sugar intake, such as insulin resistance and high insulin levels.

throw1234651234 5y ago
I really appreciate the detailed reply. Really helps to hear a professional opinion for someone who doesn't know much about the topic in any real sense.