The article reviews the role of inflammation in cancer development and its response to therapy. Chronic inflammation facilitates tumor progression and treatment resistance, while acute inflammation often stimulates anti-tumor immune responses. Multiple signaling pathways and inflammatory factors, such as NF-κB, JAK-STAT, TLRs, cGAS/STING, MAPK, cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and inflammatory metabolites, are crucial for the initiation and resolution of inflammation. The article discusses the crosstalk between tumor development and inflammatory processes and highlights potential targets for harnessing inflammation in cancer therapy, including local irradiation, recombinant cytokines, neutralizing antibodies, small-molecule inhibitors, DC vaccines, oncolytic viruses, TLR agonists, and specialized proresolving mediators (SPM). The review also covers the initiation and resolution of inflammation, the involvement of various immune cells, and the regulation of inflammatory mediators at different levels. Finally, it explores the protective actions of SPM in acute and chronic inflammation and their potential role in treating conditions like COVID-19.The article reviews the role of inflammation in cancer development and its response to therapy. Chronic inflammation facilitates tumor progression and treatment resistance, while acute inflammation often stimulates anti-tumor immune responses. Multiple signaling pathways and inflammatory factors, such as NF-κB, JAK-STAT, TLRs, cGAS/STING, MAPK, cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and inflammatory metabolites, are crucial for the initiation and resolution of inflammation. The article discusses the crosstalk between tumor development and inflammatory processes and highlights potential targets for harnessing inflammation in cancer therapy, including local irradiation, recombinant cytokines, neutralizing antibodies, small-molecule inhibitors, DC vaccines, oncolytic viruses, TLR agonists, and specialized proresolving mediators (SPM). The review also covers the initiation and resolution of inflammation, the involvement of various immune cells, and the regulation of inflammatory mediators at different levels. Finally, it explores the protective actions of SPM in acute and chronic inflammation and their potential role in treating conditions like COVID-19.