title: COX-2 inhibitors as radiation sensitizers for upper GI tract cancers: esophagus, stomach, and pancreas.
abstract: Cancers of the esophagus, stomach, and pancreas have been successfully treated recently with combinations of radiosensitizing chemotherapy and irradiation. New approaches building onto 5-fluorouracil chemoradiation include capecitabine (Xeloda) and irradiation. Capecitabine is an oral 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) prodrug that is more convenient than using infusional 5-FU, appears to have a similar therapeutic profile, and can be combined with daily irradiation. The addition of a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor is being investigated in upper gastrointestinal cancer sites because there is a high degree of overexpression of COX-2 in these cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Virginia Health Sciences System, Charlottesville 22901, USA. tar4d@virginia.edu
authors.forename: Tyvin A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shepard
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069287:Capecitabine; D000068579:Celecoxib; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D011720:Pyrazoles; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011720:Pyrazoles; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D013449:Sulfonamides; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D000068579:Celecoxib; D005472:Fluorouracil