Posted on January 8, 2002 at 3:00 p.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) are closing in on answers to whether celecoxib, now in wide use to treat arthritis pain and inflammation, can “cross over” to benefit people with a common pre-cancerous skin condition.
Dr. Craig Elmets, chairman of dermatology, heads a national trial of celecoxib to treat the dry, scaly patches known as actinic keratosis. Celecoxib already is FDA-approved for precancerous colon polyps, and is being looked at for use in other conditions, including Barrett’s esophagus and bladder cancer.
“Evidence is piling up to say that specific parts of the inflammatory process may play a role in triggering some cancers,” Elmets says. “Celecoxib is called a ‘COX-2 inhibitor’ because it blocks a specific enzyme called COX-2 that is induced by inflamed tissue and produced by pre-cancerous tissues.”
Celecoxib is similar to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as aspirin or ibuprofen, but has a more focused approach and does not have as many digestive side-effects.
Elmets expects 100 people in the Birmingham area to participate in the actinic keratosis study, which is being sponsored by the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Prevention and by the drug’s manufacturer, Pharmacia.
James Beaird, 68, of Birmingham enrolled in the trial in hopes of gaining better control over the numerous patches of affected skin on his face and arms. “I have brown hair, but my skin is more like my red-headed grandmother’s,” he said. “When I was young, I often burned and blistered from the sun and didn’t think anything about it. Now, I feel that contributed to my getting these skin patches.”
The lesions were numerous, and dermatologists controlled the most bothersome of them with sprays of liquid nitrogen. “That technique is effective, but isn’t practical for people with large numbers of actinic kerotoses,” says Elmets. “We’re hopeful we have found a medicine that stops their accumulation, or reduces their numbers.”
The clinical trial is randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled. About 300 people will participate nationwide. Participants must have at least 10 but less than 40 actinic keratoses located on the head and arms.
These rough patches of skin may be red or fairly colorless. About 10 percent of cases, if left untreated, will develop into squamous cell skin cancer.For more information on this clinical trial, call (205) 975-4917.