posted on Apr, 16 2010 @ 11:54 AM
There are types of cancer that can be related to chronic inflammatory changes secondary to bacteria. For instance, Heliobacter pylori is a type of
bacteria that has been discovered to grow in the lining of the stomach, and is responsible for most ulcers. However, if these bacteria are not
killed, chronic infection with the H. pylori is associated with gastric and esophageal carcinomas. The use of a proton-pump inhibitor and two weeks
of antibiotics wipes out the bacteria, dramatically decreasing the risk of cancer, depending on how long they had been infecting that patient's
stomach.
In general, however, all cancer is due to a failure of the immune system. One of the prime functions of the immune system, besides fighting off
foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria, is to monitor the reproduction of cells throughout the body. When abnormal cells develop, the immune
system is supposed to destroy those cells, protecting against cancer.
If the immune system fails to identify those cells as abnormal, or fails to destroy them once identified, that is the pathology that leads to the
development of cancer. Bacteria can create difficulties for the immune system, but are not the direct factors causing cancer.