Current status of combined hormone replacement therapy in clinical practice.

Approximately 20 million women worldwide use hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Formerly, it was thought to confer beneficial cardiac protection and reduce osteoporosis in addition to relieving the symptoms of menopause. However, many recent trials have contradicted these beliefs.

COX inhibitors modulate bFGF-induced cell survival in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) serves as a modulator of survival in breast cancer cells. The mechanisms by which bFGF transduces the anti-apoptotic signal and interacts with COX inhibitors were investigated. bFGF reduced apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and up-regulated the expression of mitocondrial Bcl-2, whereas COX inhibitors meloxicam (selective COX-2) and aspirin (non-selective), induced apoptosis.