The inflammatory milieu of tumors: Cytokines and chemokines that affect tumor growth and metastasis

Tumor development and progression are multi-factorial processes, in which genomic alterations and modifications in gene expression in pre-malignant cells are joined by deleterious microenvironmental factors. The tumor milieu contains stroma cells and leukocytes, soluble factors and matrix components. The intensive interplay that exists between such host factors and the tumor cells plays a major role in dictating the final outcome of the malignant process.