Many cancers that overexpress cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) have been shown to have high intratumoral levels of PGE2, which has been shown to upregulate the invasive potential of pancreatic cancer cells through an ERK/Ets-1-dependent induction of MMP-2 expression and activity15. This evidence concerns the gene MMP2 and familial pancreatic carcinoma.