Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2025

Author Spotlight: Traditional Chinese Medicine for Sleep Disorders in Acute COPD — A Safe, Cost-Effective Approach
Published on: October 18, 2024
Potential Pathophysiological Pathways in the Complex Relationships between OSA and Cancer.
Manuel Sánchez-de-la-Torre1,2, Carolina Cubillos2,3, Olivia J Veatch4
1Group of Precision Medicine in Chronic Diseases, Respiratory Department, University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova and Santa María, Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, IRBLleida, University of Lleida, 25003 Lleida, Spain.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to increased cancer risk and severity. Intermittent hypoxia in OSA activates pathways like HIF-1α, affecting cell functions and the microbiome, potentially driving cancer development.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Sleep Medicine
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- Epidemiological and clinical studies suggest a link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cancer incidence/severity.
- This relationship is complex, influenced by factors like age, gender, obesity, and cancer type.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review pathophysiological pathways potentially explaining the OSA-cancer relationship.
- To identify future research challenges in this field.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing epidemiological and clinical studies.
- Analysis of pathophysiological mechanisms, including intermittent hypoxia and HIF-1α.
- Exploration of cellular, molecular, and microbiome alterations.
Main Results:
- Intermittent hypoxia in OSA may promote cancer via HIF-1α activation.
- Pathways involve altered immune and cellular functions, and microbiome modifications.
- Genetic susceptibility further modulates cancer risk in OSA patients.
Conclusions:
- Multiple interconnected pathophysiological pathways link OSA to cancer.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for future research and potential interventions.
More Related Videos
05:34Author Spotlight: Utilizing Traditional Chinese Acupuncture of the Ear to Improve Sleep Disorders
Published on: August 18, 2023
10:21Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Inflammation in the Co-occurrence of Primary Sjogren's Syndrome and Lung Adenocarcinoma
Published on: September 20, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Sleep Apnea
The condition is more prevalent among...
Other Pulmonary Disorders
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation