The revelation that aspirin and aspirin-like compounds have notableantineo­ plastic properties has revolutionized cancer research. COX-2 Blockade in Cancer Prevention and Therapy chronicles the evidence and presents exciting new op­ portunities for the use of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) blockade in the prevention and treatment of cancer. The text is divided broadly into five areas. First, an historical overview documents the scientific discovery ofCOX-2 and the pharma­ ceutical development of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) designed for selective COX-2 inhibition. The process by which essential poly­ unsaturated fatty acids (PUF As) stimulate prostaglandin biosynthesis and cancer development, and its interruption by COX-2 inhibition, is elucidated. This is followed by a section on the epidemiology of NSAIDs and cancers of the colon and breast, and other anatomic sites. These chapters reflect significant cancer protection owing to the regular use of common NSAIDs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. A section on animal models of carcinogenesis presents comprehensive evidence that general NSAIDs inhibit a variety of malignant neoplasms in vivo, and highlights recent findings which show that COX-2 blocking agents produce striking chemopreventive effects against colon cancer and breast cancer as well as other malignancies. Genetic models are presented confirming the critical role of COX-2 in carcinogenesis. Section IV then discusses the molecular biology of COX -2 vis-a-vis the role of COX -2 and, to a lesser extent, COX -1, in modulating a number of important processes in molecular carcinogenesis such as mutagen­ esis, cell division, angiogenesis, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. The discovery that aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have notable antineoplastic properties has revolutionized cancer research. In COX-2 Blockade in Cancer Prevention and Therapy, a panel of leading experts 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 their prevention and treatment. These highly experienced 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 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 via such processes as mutagenesis, cell division, angiogenesis, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. 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.
Comprehensive and up-to-date, COX-2 Blockade in Cancer Prevention and Therapy demonstrates how COX-2 inhibitors and other NSAIDs reduce the risk of most cancers and provides cancer investigators today with a clear and authoritative guide to the development of novel agents with significant antineoplastic properties. "...a must, not only for oncologists but also for every family doctor, who is often the first to see a patient with a cancerous or precancerous or precancerous condition." -Lancet Oncology

"This comprehensive and up-to-date monograph demonstrates how COX-2 inhibitors and other NSaids reduce the risk of most cancers and provides cancer investigators by a clear and authoritative guide leading to the development of novel angst with significant antineoplastic properties." -Neoplasma