Prognostic value of innate and adaptive immunity in colorectal cancer

Figure 1 Immune cells have variable behavior controlled by complex interactions in the tumor microenvironment. Although it is commonly thought that an immune response localized to the tumor inhibit cancer growth, it is now clear that some types of tumor-associated inflammation can exert an opposite action.

Figure 2 Anti- and pro-tumor immune response involves the interaction of several cell types of the adaptive as well as of the innate immune system, and an intricate network of products (i. e., cytokines and chemokines). IL: Interleukin; INF-γ: Intracellular interferon-γ; EGF: Epidermal-growth factor; NK cells: Natural killer cells.