COX-2 Blockade in Cancer Prevention and Therapy

This book chronicles the evidence for the chemopreventive and therapeutic effects of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors against virtually all forms of cancer and presents exciting new opportunities for the use of COX-2 blockade in its prevention and treatment. The authors elucidate the process by which COX-2 inhibitors interrupt prostaglandin biosynthesis and cancer development, examine the positive epidemiological effects of such NSAIDs as aspirin and ibuprofen on various cancers, and demonstrate through animal models that COX-2 inhibitors and NSAIDs inhibit a variety of malignant neoplasms in vivo. They also present genetic models confirming the critical role of COX-2 in carcinogenesis and discuss how its molecular biology modulates carcinogenesis. In addition, the authors review the clinical applications of selected NSAIDs that are immediately relevant to cancer prevention and control and outline the future prospects of COX-2 blocking agents.