Cancer is a significant public health problem worldwide and is an important cause of disease morbidity and mortality. Cancer is the result of a combination of various factors, including environment and genes.

Chronic diseases are the most common causes of death and disability worldwide, including cardiovascular, diabetes mellitus, liver, lung, and kidney diseases. The prevalence of major chronic diseases in the elderly is high with three-quarters of the elderly suffering from at least one chronic disease. With the increase of age, the prevalence rate of chronic diseases and cancers also increased. The management of chronic disease often requires a long-term care plan. As the burden of chronic diseases continues to grow globally, so makes the impact of its treatment and management on cancer risk and prognosis. Challenges with taking chronic medications are getting more stringent, and the chronic disease management strategies are more demanding.

Recent studies have indicated that long-term drug use for chronic diseases was associated with cancer incidence and prognosis. Some drugs for chronic diseases have been witnessed an anti-neoplastic effect, such as statin, aspirin, olanzapine, chlorpromazine, and flupentixol. Metformin (hypoglycemic agents) use was found to be associated with decreased cancer incidence and mortality. Many ongoing randomized trials and studies are investigating the effects of medications on cancer-related outcomes.

At present, the associations between long-term drug use for chronic diseases and cancer risk as well as prognosis remain controversial, and the fundamental mechanisms are still unclear. This Research Topic aims to explore the associations and further mechanisms by evidence-based medicine evaluation or primary research based on molecular biology method. Further investigation of the chronic disease drugs effect on cancer onset and development can provide references and suggestions for clinical treatment and drug selection.

Overall, the unexpected challenges posed by medications use require a deeper understanding. All types of articles reporting basic, translational, experimental, evidence-based or clinical research are welcome and should aim to:

• Explore new mechanisms and molecular pathways of drug use in the development or progression of cancer
• Investigate the impact of different drugs for chronic diseases on the onset or death of cancer
• Assess the impact of chronic drug combination use on cancer risk or prognosis

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Frontiers in Pharmacology

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