Cancer prevention as biomodulation: targeting the initiating stimulus and secondary adaptations.
In a medical sense, biomodulation could be considered a biochemical or cellular response to a disease or therapeutic stimulus. In cancer pathophysiology, the initial oncogenic stimulus leads to cellular and biochemical changes that allow cells, tissue, and organism to accommodate and accept the oncogenic insult. In epithelial cell cancer development, the process of carcinogenesis is frequently characterized by sequential cellular and biochemical adaptations as cells transition through hyperplasia, dysplasia, atypical dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and invasive cancer. In some cases, the adaptations may persist after the initial oncogenic stimulus is gone in a type of "hit-and-run" oncogenesis. These pathophysiological changes may interfere with cancer prevention therapies targeted solely to the initial oncogenic insult, perhaps contributing to resistance development. Characterization of these accommodating adaptations could provide insight for the development of cancer preventive regimens that might more effectively biomodulate preneoplastic cells toward a more normal state.
Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. paf3@georgetown.edu
Priscilla A
PA
Furth
D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents