Painkillers Tablets To Prevent Cancer.
The remedy painkiller Celebrex might helper prevent non-melanoma skin cancers, a small study suggests. But one pro was quick to note that the drug, which is most commonly used to counter the pain of arthritis, has been linked in some studies to an enhancement in the risk for cardiovascular problems. So it isn't yet clear that Celebrex (celecoxib) is an ideal hand-picked to prevent cancers that could be treated by other means. "We have a lot of different treatments for non-melanoma skin cancers," notable Dr Doris Day, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "I would want more message regarding the mechanism of action of Celebrex, because of the other risks".
The report, funded by the US National Cancer Institute and Pfizer, the maker of Celebrex, is published in the Nov 29, 2010 online version and the Dec 15, 2010 phrasing issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Non-melanoma crust cancers are common, comprising "the most prevalent malignancies in the United States with an amount equivalent to all other cancers combined," according to study lead author Dr Craig A Elmets, a professor of dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. These tumors comprise basal stall and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin, which are typically linked to overexposure to UV rays from the Sunna or indoor tanning booths.
Currently, there are no US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved agents for the fending of non-melanoma skin cancers, although sunscreens are widely recommended for this purpose. "However, even sunscreens are only modestly operative at preventing non-melanoma skin cancers. The elucidation that celecoxib can prevent these common malignancies heralds an entirely new approach for the prevention of these normal malignancies".