The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7386 p127
4 February 2006

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COX-2 inhibitor drugs may reduce the risk of breast cancer

Women taking selective cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitor drugs on a daily basis for two or more years are at reduced risk of breast cancer, according to a case control study partly funded by Pfizer (BMC Cancer 2006;6:27).

A risk factor questionnaire was used to assess 323 women with breast cancer alongside 649 cancer-free controls.

The authors found significant risk reductions for selective COX-2 inhibitors as a group (odds ratio 0.29, 95 per cent confidence interval 0.14–0.59) and suggested COX-2 over-expression and up-regulation of the prostaglandin cascade as possible targets for the agents in breast cancer cells.

A significant reduction in breast cancer risk was also seen for women taking two or more doses per week of aspirin (OR 0.49, 95 per cent CI 0.26–0.95) and ibuprofen or naproxen (OR 0.37, 95 per cent CI 0.18–0.72).