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©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 14, 2014; 20(38): 13930-13935
Published online Oct 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i38.13930
Published online Oct 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i38.13930
Acute bacterial infection negatively impacts cancer specific survival of colorectal cancer patients
Regina Attiê, Michele Cristina F Silva, Pharmacy Department, A.C.Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, SP 01509-010, Brazil
Ludmilla Thomé Domingos Chinen, Vladmir Cláudio Cordeiro de Lima, Medical Oncology Department, International Research Center, São Paulo, SP 01509-010, Brazil
Eliane Muta Yoshioka, Research Department, A.C.Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, SP 01509-010, Brazil
Author contributions: Attiê R, Chinen LTD, Yoshioka EM, Silva MCF and de Lima VCC contributed to the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Ludmilla Thomé Domingos Chinen, PhD, Medical Oncology Department, International Research Center, Rua Professor Antônio Prudente 211, 1º subsolo /Prédio Hilda Jacob Liberdade, São Paulo, SP 01509-010, Brazil. ludmilla.chinen@cipe.accamargo.org.br
Telephone: +55-11-21891231 Fax: +55-11-21895108
Received: April 2, 2014
Revised: May 13, 2014
Accepted: July 15, 2014
Published online: October 14, 2014
Revised: May 13, 2014
Accepted: July 15, 2014
Published online: October 14, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Previous works show evidence of both antitumoral- and tumor tolerance-directed effects of bacterial infections. The development of immunotherapies has commenced despite the lack in understanding of the underlying mechanism, or of the cancer-specific survival effects, of bacterial infections. To examine the effect of bacterial infections on cancer-specific survival, a retrospective study of colorectal cancer patients was performed. The results indicate that bacterial infections, as well as the accompanying increase in neutrophil counts, are associated with poor cancer survival. As a result, greater attention should be paid to treatment of infections incurred during or after cancer treatment.