A cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, nimesulide, delays the progression of precancerous pancreatic lesions in mice, according to researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Inflammation has been shown to be a factor in many forms of cancer. According to the team, this is the first study to demonstrate the effect of an anti-inflammatory COX-2 inhibitor on the development of pancreatic cancer.
This is not the first time that COX-2, an enzyme that causes inflammation, has been studied by cancer researchers. COX-2 has been studied in terms of the development and growth of breast and colon cancer also.
According to the lead author Dr. Eibl, these results do not mean that everyone should take a COX-2 inhibitor to protect against cancer, but they may play a role in prevention in high-risk populations.
