Arachidonic acid metabolism

Arachidonic acid metabolites can act as tumor promoters and can affect growth and metastases of tumors in three ways: (a) Prostacyclin inhibits and thromboxane facilitates platelet-tumor cell interactions and, thereby, tumor cell invasiveness; (b) the cytoprotective action of prostaglandins contributes to epithelial cell integrity and influences tissue response to tumor-promoting agents; and (c) lipoxygenase products may act as tumor promoters.