Korean breakthrough on stomach cancer
Monday, December 6, 2004
SEOUL, Dec 04, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) — The South Koreas Food and Drug Administration says it has proof nimesulide, a material that represses cyclooxygenase-2, or COX-2, prevents stomach cancer.
A germ known as Helicobacter pylori that survives on mucosas in the stomach is known to cause various stomach-related diseases, including stomach cancer, the Korea Times reported Saturday. Some 90 percent of Korean adults are infected with helicobacter.
When infected with helicobacter pylori, an enzyme called COX-2 begins to appear, causing atrophied gastric mucosa, according to an article in the December issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
Long-term treatment with a material that represses COX-2 results in a decrease in cancer growth, according to the KFDA research.
Nimesulide is used in the treatment of arthritis and is known to be effective for colon cancer. But the new Korean research is the first to indicate, through animal experiments, that COX-2 prevents the development of stomach cancer.