title: Cyclooxygenase-2: a potential target in breast cancer.
abstract: Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has been shown to result in a 40% to 50% reduction in the relative risk of developing colorectal cancer. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression occurs in 43% of human invasive breast cancers and 63% of ductal carcinomas in situ. There is considerable in vitro, animal model, and epidemiologic evidence to suggest that COX-2 may play some role in breast tumor initiation and progression. PGE(2) is a major downstream mediator of COX-2 that promotes cellular proliferation and angiogenesis, makes cells resistant to apoptosis, enhances invasiveness, and modulates immunosuppression. COX-2 and COX-2-derived PGE(2) may be involved in mammary carcinogenesis. Therefore, COX-2 selective inhibitors may have a role in breast cancer prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Dingzhi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Raymond N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Dubois
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D015232:Dinoprostone