Pharmacogenomics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pharmacogenomics, including details on pharmacology, designer drugs, customized medicines.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for cancer prevention: promise, perils and pharmacogenetics.

Ulrich CM, Bigler J, Potter JD

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA. nulrich@fhcrc.org

Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) show indisputable promise as chemopreventive agents. Possible targets include cancers of the colon, stomach, breast and lung. However, recent studies raise concern about potential cardiovascular toxicity associated with the use of NSAIDs that specifically target the enzyme cyclooxygenase 2. These findings, and others that show that inherited genetic characteristics might determine preventive success, argue for new strategies that are tailored to individual medical history and genetic make-up.

Published 21 February 2006 in Nat Rev Cancer, 6(2): 130-40.
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