NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDS) AS REPURPOSED ANTICANCER DRUGS IN SKIN CANCER

Abstract

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are established anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic agents, that present an ascendant consumption trend globally and reached the spotlight in recent years due to the novel anticancer effects proved in various types of cancer, including colorectal, and breast, prostate, and skin cancer. Cyclooxigenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme, one of the main biological targets of NSAIDs, plays pivotal roles in tumour-associated inflammation and other processes related to carcinogenic processes, turning NSAIDs into eligible candidates for drug repurposing as chemopreventive or therapeutic anticancer alternatives. Although considerable research has analysed the mechanisms involved in NSAID anticancer effects, no review has presented the outcomes of different NSAID agents’ effects in skin cancer preclinical and clinical experimental conditions. Under these circumstances, the present review offers a comprehensive description of the existing knowledge concerning the NSAID agents investigated for chemopreventive or anticancer potential in skin cancer, focusing on their mechanism of action and their side effects.