Inflammation Perfect Storm: Cancer, Climate and Polarisation

Chronic systemic inflammation is increasingly recognised as a central pathological state driving the global burden of non-communicable diseases, most notably cancer, and significantly exacerbated by environmental stressors linked to climate change. This review elucidates the intricate and synergistic relationship between chronic inflammation and cancer, further amplified by the compounding effects of climate change and contemporary sociopolitical polarisation. We examine how biological, environmental and psychosocial factors converge to worsen chronic inflammation and increase cancer risk. Addressing this "perfect storm" of converging health threats necessitates a holistic and integrated approach that considers biological vulnerabilities, environmental degradation, the socioeconomic burden of health inequities, and the profound societal impacts of political polarisation to effectively mitigate this escalating global health crisis and promote health equity.