National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Med Hypotheses. 2019 Feb;123:60-62. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2018.12.018. Epub 2018 Dec 24.
This study researches the cause of tumor, cancer related fatigue (CRF) and cancer cachexia (CC), and the relationship among tumor and CRF and CC. Carcinogenesis is consequence of failure of tissue development. Tumor originates from tissue regeneration. The tumor cell is normal incomplete differentiated cell that stop in different phases of differentiation. Tumor promoter stimulates stem cell to proliferate. Carcinogen obstructs stem cell to differentiate. With tumor promoter and carcinogen, the tissue stem cells proliferate but cannot differentiate into mature cell, and form tumors. The disorder of biological signals cell proliferation and differentiation facilitates tumor development. CRF and CC are consequence of endocrine hypofunction and failure caused by persistent stress. Nature factors and psychological factors stimulate organic stress. The significant change of stress is the activation of endocrine system. The persistent stress exhausts the capacity of endocrine glands or hormone receptors of target cells, and leads to endocrine hypofunction even failure. CRF and CC are clinical manifestation of endocrine hypofunction and failure. Cancer is a local lesion, also is a systemic disease. As a local lesion, carcinogen obstructed stem cell to differentiate, developmental failure of local tissue forms tumor. As a systemic disease, cancer is related to natural physical, chemical, and biological factors, as well as negative spiritual factors. The material and spiritual factors induce persistent stress which eventually leads to endocrine hypofunction even failure and unbalance of homeostasis. The disorder of biological signals of cell proliferation and differentiation facilitates tumor development. CRF and CC, as clinical manifestation of endocrine hypofunction and failure, have nothing to do with tumor size and type, but facilitate tumor development. CRF and CC are through all the course of systemic cancerous disease, and commonly precede tumorigenesis. Many patients have been found tumors because of symptoms of CRF and CC. Even if no tumor be found at that time, various tumors would be found in the follow-up. For systemic cancerous disease, cachexia is the cause of death. Most cancer patients do not die of tumor, but of cancer cachexia. Eradicating tumor cell cannot cure systemic cancerous disease; on the contrary, the poisonous side effect of therapies usually speeds up the progress of CC and death. It is important for curing cancer cachexia and restoring the patient's constitution to prevent systemic cancer and improve the quality of life and prolong the survival.
本研究探讨了肿瘤、癌症相关疲劳（CRF）和癌症恶病质（CC）的病因，以及肿瘤与 CRF 和 CC 之间的关系。肿瘤发生是组织发育失败的结果。肿瘤起源于组织再生。肿瘤细胞是正常的不完全分化细胞，停滞在不同的分化阶段。肿瘤促进剂刺激干细胞增殖。致癌剂阻止干细胞分化。有了肿瘤促进剂和致癌剂，组织干细胞就会增殖，但不能分化为成熟细胞，从而形成肿瘤。生物信号细胞增殖和分化的紊乱促进了肿瘤的发展。CRF 和 CC 是内分泌功能低下和持续应激引起的功能衰竭的结果。自然因素和心理因素刺激有机应激。应激的显著变化是内分泌系统的激活。持续的应激会耗尽内分泌腺或靶细胞激素受体的功能，导致内分泌功能低下甚至衰竭。CRF 和 CC 是内分泌功能低下和衰竭的临床表现。癌症是一种局部病变，也是一种全身性疾病。作为一种局部病变，致癌剂阻止了干细胞的分化，局部组织的发育失败形成了肿瘤。作为一种全身性疾病，癌症与自然的物理、化学和生物因素以及负面的精神因素有关。物质和精神因素诱发持续的应激，最终导致内分泌功能低下甚至衰竭和内环境失衡。生物信号细胞增殖和分化的紊乱促进了肿瘤的发展。CRF 和 CC 作为内分泌功能低下和衰竭的临床表现，与肿瘤的大小和类型无关，但却促进了肿瘤的发展。CRF 和 CC 贯穿全身性癌症疾病的全过程，通常先于肿瘤发生。许多患者因 CRF 和 CC 的症状而被发现肿瘤。即使当时没有发现肿瘤，在后续的随访中也会发现各种肿瘤。对于全身性癌症，恶病质是死亡的原因。大多数癌症患者不是死于肿瘤，而是死于癌症恶病质。消除肿瘤细胞并不能治愈全身性癌症；相反，治疗的毒性副作用通常会加速 CC 的进展和死亡。治疗癌症恶病质和恢复患者的体质以预防全身性癌症、提高生活质量和延长生存时间非常重要。
