London, January 07: The commonly used painkiller known as celecoxib (Celebrex) has shown promising results in protecting individuals against certain types of skin cancer.
Previous studies had reported the efficacy of celecoxib in treating squamous cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer, on mice samples. The COX inhibitor is believed to fight the disease through inhibiting the growth of new vessels that are needed to nourish the tumor.
According to a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, individuals with Gorlin syndrome, a condition associated with genetic predisposition to a skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma, are 50 percent less likely to develop the condition when they are taking celecoxib.
The overall burden of the disease was also reported to be lower among those on the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Celecoxib, however, was only effective in those with mild forms of the disease, for instance, those who had more than 15 skin lesions upon entering the study.
“Those with a lot of lesions may have other genetic mutations that make their cancer more robust,” said study coauthor Jean Tang.
Many health officials, however, have cautioned over the routine use of the disease, stressing that the drug is associated with potential cardiovascular risks in certain individuals.
—-Agencies