NSAID use may reduce prostate cancer risk slightly

A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2005; 97:975-80) suggests that regular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use over a long duration is associated with a modestly reduced risk of prostate cancer.

American Cancer Society researchers examined the association between NSAID use and prostate cancer incidence among 70,144 men in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort and calculated rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals for prostate cancer incidence associated with NSAID use, adjusting for age and potential prostate cancer risk factors.

During a follow-up from 1992-93 through 2001, 4,853 cases of incident prostate cancer were identified. Neither current aspirin use nor current use of NSAIDs was associated with risk, even at the highest level. However, taking NSAIDs regularly for a long duration (30 or more pills per month for 5 or more years) was associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer (RR=.82; 95% CI=.71 to .94). Long duration regular use of aspirin was also associated with reduced risk of the disease (RR=.85; 95% CI=.73 to .99).