A discussion on chemoprevention of oral cancer by selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors

Abstract

Oral cancers are potentially fatal diseases, have a high mortality rate and because of this it is highly challenging for the clinicians. Cyclooxygenase (COX), the key enzyme in prostaglandin cascade, is expressed in two isoform: the constitutive COX-1 and inducible COX-2. COX-2 expression extensively up regulated in oral cancer, oral premalignant lesion and seemed to be enhanced specifically in high-risk oral lesions. In recent studies it has been found that Zinc regulates COX-2 expression in vivo, in animal model may lead to prevention or therapeutic possibilities for upper aerodigestive tract cancer. The data in recent literatures strongly indicate that COX-2 expression is extensively up-regulated in oral cancer and it is believed that COX-2 inhibition strongly suppressed the oral lesion therefore; selective COX-2 inhibitor should be investigated as new chemopreventive agents for patient who are at high risk for developing oral cancer.