Cyclooxygenase-2 as a Biomarker with Diagnostic, Therapeutic, Prognostic, and Predictive Relevance in Small Animal Oncology

Marta Szweda; Andrzej Rychlik; Izabella Babińska; Andrzej Pomianowski

doi:10.2478/jvetres-2020-0018

Cyclooxygenase-2 as a Biomarker with Diagnostic, Therapeutic, Prognostic, and Predictive Relevance in Small Animal Oncology

J Vet Res. 2020 Mar 24;64(1):151-160. doi: 10.2478/jvetres-2020-0018. eCollection 2020 Mar.

Authors

Marta Szweda¹, Andrzej Rychlik², Izabella Babińska³, Andrzej Pomianowski¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Diseases with Clinic, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
² Department of Clinical Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
³ Department of Pathophysiology, Forensic Medicine and Administration, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-718 Olsztyn, Poland.

Abstract

In canine and feline populations, the number of neoplasm cases continues to increase around the world. Attempts are being made in centres of research to identify new biomarkers that speed up and improve the quality of oncological diagnostics and therapy in human and animal tumour patients. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a promising biomarker with increasing relevance to human oncology, but as yet with less application in veterinary oncology. The expression of COX-2 increases significantly during pathological processes involving inflammation, pain or fever. It is also overexpressed in humans presenting various types of tumours and in selected types of tumours in animals, particularly in dogs. This article discusses the expression of COX-2 in canine and feline tumours, the importance of COX-2 as a biomarker with diagnostic, therapeutic, prognostic and predictive relevance in oncology, and the clinical significance of inhibiting COX-2 overexpression in tumours.

Keywords: COX-2; biomarker; cat; dog; tumours.