Estrogen-Dependent Prognostic Significance of Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in Early-Stage Invasive Breast Cancers Treated With Breast-Conserving Surgery and Radiation

In breast cancer patients treated with CS+RT, COX-2 expression is associated with younger age, larger tumor size, worse local control, distant metastasis, and worse overall survival. The significance is limited to hormone receptor-positive tumors, consistent with the known effect of COX-2/PGE2 on aromatase activity. Use of COX-2 inhibitors in estrogen-dependent breast cancers warrants further investigation.