Elevated cyclooxygenase-2 expression correlates with distant metastases in breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression clearly plays an important role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. In this study, we analysed the relationship between COX-2 expression and various clinicopathological factors in human breast cancer.


METHODS
Using immunohistochemistry, we analysed archival specimens of human breast cancer (n=29) using antibodies to COX-2, ER, PgR and HER2 and, from medical records, obtained clinicopathological data.


RESULTS
We observed a significant association between COX-2 overexpression and distant metastasis. COX-2 expression was not significantly associated with any other clinical or pathological variable.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings lend support to the hypothesis that COX-2 overexpression represents an adverse prognostic event in human breast cancer and are encouraging for proposed strategies of COX-2 suppression to treat the disease.
Breast Cancer Unit, St. George's Hospital and Medical School, Level 3, St. James' Wing, Blackshaw Road, Tooting, London, SW17 0QT, UK.
Gurpreet Singh
GS
Ranger
Valerie
V
Thomas
Andrew
A
Jewell
Kefah
K
Mokbel
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human