Preclinical evaluation of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent celecoxib on malignant mesothelioma chemoprevention.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) remains the most lethal pleural, peritoneal and pericardial cancer. Here, we characterize the effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) on in vitro and in vivo experimental MM models. Unlike primary normal mesothelial cells, the selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor celecoxib reduced the in vitro proliferation of several MM cells derived from previously untreated MM patients.