Lung Cancer NSAIDs Could Reduce Cancer Risk

By M.S.W., ZoeMed, Inc.

Taking NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, on a regular basis could give

smokers (both former and current) a chemoprotective benefit, according to Dr. Joshua

E. Muscat, of the American Health Foundation.

Muscat’s team found that NSAIDs inhibit the development of lung tumors, in their

study, which included 1038 patients and 1002 controls.

NSAIDs were used regularly by 17% of patients and 21% of the study controls. "The

relative risk estimate of lung carcinoma associated with using NSAIDs 3 times a week

or more for 1 or more years demonstrated an odds ratio (OR) of 0.68," the

investigators calculate. The relationships between lung cancer and NSAID use varied

depending on smoking status.

"If the current findings do reflect a chemoprotective effect, it is uncertain why

the inverse association was limited to smokers," Dr. Muscat commented. "It is

possible that smoking might induce COX-2 expression."

“The possibility that commonly used pain medication can reduce (lung cancer)

rates should be explored further," concluded the study researchers.

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