Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in chemoprevention of breast and prostate cancer

Despite convincing evidence from animal experiments, epidemiological studie s linking the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with lo wer risk of breast and prostate cancer have been equivocal. One explanation for the inconsistencies among epidemiological studies may relate to indivi dual differences in NSAID metabolism due to genetic polymorphisms in enzyme s such as N-acetyltransferases and cytochrome P4502C9, which are known to b e involved in the metabolic biotransformation of NSAIDs. The exclusion of t hese molecular biomarkers of individual susceptibility may have contributed to the inconsistent findings on the effects of NSAIDs in breast and prosta te cancer. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.