Signals induced by sex hormones and inflammation have been viewed as different aspects of tumour development. But a three-way interaction between these two classes of signal and carcinogenesis has emerged.
In 1896, George Beatson discovered that surgical removal of the ovaries slows the growth of breast tumours, so revealing a link between sex steroid hormones and cancer of their target endocrine organs. Moreover, it has long been known that females are less susceptible to tumours at sites that are not conventional target organs of sex steroid hormones, such as the gastrointestinal tract1. Differences in drinking and smoking habits do not seem to fully account for these gender differences. Now, several studies open up unexpected vistas on the relationship between gender differences and cancer. They suggest that the inflammatory response, which is mediated by the innate, or nonspecific, immune system, might be an essential element of the action of sex steroid hormones.
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