Clinical significance of prostacyclin and thromboxane in cancer of the female breast and genital tract

Studies investigating the role of thromboxane A₂ and prostacyclin in cancer of the female breast and genital tract are reviewed. Whereas thromboxane A₂ was found to promote the tumour growth and metastasis, prostacyclin exerted a protective effect in maintaining vascular and platelet homeostasis. Thus, monitoring of prostacyclin and thromboxane levels in plasma and urine of cancer patients may be essential for the evaluation of tumour growth and metastasis. Of all modulators of thromboxane and prostacyclin biosynthesis, nafazatrom was found to exhibit promising results for the treatment of advanced breast cancer, although its use in the routine therapy is questionable at this stage.