UV light is a complete carcinogen, inducing both basal and squamous cell sk
in cancers, The work described uses the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib
to examine the efficacy of COX-2 inhibition in the reduction of UV light-i
nduced skin tumor formation in hairless mice. UVA-340 sun lamps were chosen
as a light source that effectively mimics the solar UVA and UVB spectrum.
Hairless mice were irradiated for 5 days a week for a total dose of 2.62 J/
cm(2). When 90% of the animals had at least one tumor, the mice were divide
d into two groups so that the tumor number and multiplicity were the same (
P < 0.31). Half of the mice were then fed a diet containing 1500 p.p.m. cel
ecoxib. Tumor number, multiplicity and size were then observed for the next
10 weeks. Ninety-five percent of the tumors formed were histopathologicall
y evaluated as squamous cell carcinoma, COX-2 expression and activity were
increased in tumors. After 10 weeks, the difference in tumor number and mul
tiplicity in the drug-treated group was 56% of UV controls (P < 0.001), The
results show that the orally administered selective COX-2 inhibitor celeco
xib prevents new tumor formation after the onset of photocarcinogenesis and
suggest that treatment with celecoxib may be very useful in preventing UV-
induced skin tumors in humans.