Our aim was to study total COX-2 mRNA expression in both cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells and its association with angiogenic factor VEGF mRNA expression, tumor angiogenesis and prognosis in patients with NSCLC.
Whereas COX-2 and PGE(2) are associated with cancer cell survival and tumor angiogenesis, arachidonic acid itself is a strong apoptotic signal that may facilitate cancer cell death.
COX-2 expression in stromal cells appears to have a role in tumor angiogenesis because tumor growth is attenuated when colon cancer cells are implanted in COX-2 knockout mice due to a decreased vascular supply to the tumors.
We evaluated the role of COX-2 pathway in 35 head and neck cancers (HNCs) by analyzing COX-2 expression and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in relation to tumor angiogenesis and lymph node metastasis.
Both in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that cox-2 overexpression upregulates angiogenic factors in neoplastic cells and promotes tumor angiogenesis.