So far, tumors have been assumed to defy experimental therapeutic access from inside in a comprehensive and reconstructive way (systems view) and to only comply with reductionist knowledge with regard to biochemical pathways.
Our main aim was the uncovering and reconstruction of tumor systems structures mediating tumor-associated inflammation (eight phase II trials, two of them randomized). Thus, we comparatively analyzed anti-inflammatory activities and clinical response induced by continuously administered biomodulatory treatment modules (module M: metronomic low-dose chemotherapy; module A: pioglitazone plus etoricoxib; module A+M; module A+M/+: plus second transcriptional modulator [interferon-alpha or dexamethasone]) in the metastatic stages of different types of tumors (266 patients; 54% systemically pre-treated; metastatic melanoma, sarcoma, renal clear cell carcinoma, castration-resistent prostate cancer, gastric cancer, and Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis).
Tumor-specific and stage-specific therapeutic accessibility of inflammation-related processes to induce response in all tumor types indicate a constitutive spin-off of new systems functions during metastatic processes. Furthermore, this accessibility shows the differential integration of inflammation into the context-dependent ‘living world’ of tumor compartments that is marked by tumor-specific and subtype-specific rationalization processes: Inflammation-related activities are communicatively promoted and differentially adapted during tumor evolution. Empirically, differences may be detected in the modalities of developing evolutionary systems and in the acquired functional impact of inflammation-related systems. Biomodulatory therapies, administered as fixed modules, may contribute to the discovery and understanding of novel regulatory systems in tumor biology.
This study highlights the claim for validity of therapeutic inflammation control as an important prerequisite for tumor control on the basis of action-relevant yes or no statements that generate facts on-site in tumors via biomodulatory therapy modules.