Q&A About the Study of Association of Aspirin and Non-Aspirin NSAIDS With Cancer Incidence
- From: Matti Narkia <mna@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:54:00 +0300
Questions and Answers Related to Study of Association of Aspirin and
Non-Aspirin NSAIDS With Cancer Incidence and Mortality
What did this study find?
Regular aspirin use was associated with lower cancer incidence and
cancer mortality, but non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
(NSAID) use was not.
Aspirin was also associated with a lower risk of dying from coronary
heart disease, while NSAIDs were not.
The researchers also looked at whether smoking status had any impact
on the potential preventive effects of aspirin and found that while
these agents were associated with lower cancer incidence and mortality
among former and never smokers, the same apparent benefits were not
seen among active smokers.
What are the details?
Among 22,507 cancer-free postmenopausal women who participated in the
Iowa Women's Health Study and provided information on aspirin and
NSAID use, those who said they regularly used aspirin had a 16 percent
reduced risk of developing cancer more than a decade later, as well as
a 13 percent reduced risk of dying from cancer over this same time
period, compared to women who did not use aspirin.
There was no statistically significant impact on cancer incidence or
mortality among women who used non-aspirin NSAIDs.
Why is this study important?
For two reasons:
* Previous studies have evaluated whether aspirin or other NSAIDs
prevent specific cancers, such as breast cancer. But this study is
unique because the number of patients enrolled was very large --
thought to be the largest study conducted on the subject -- and
researchers were able to evaluate comprehensive endpoints such as
total cancer incidence and cancer mortality, which are more clinically
relevant outcomes for patients. The authors followed patients for up
to 12 years and were able to adjust the results for a large number of
lifestyle factors; they found little evidence that these other factors
could explain the aspirin and cancer associations observed in this
study.
* Also, the different impact of aspirin compared to other NSAIDs
was somewhat unexpected, the researchers say. While chemically
different, these agents share at least one similar mechanism of
action, the researchers say, so they expected them to have comparable
effects. This adds to the evidence about how reducing inflammation can
affect cancer processes.
What are the clinical implications?
The study results don't mean that women should throw away their NSAIDs
or pick up a bottle of aspirin, the researchers say. However, the
findings provide provocative evidence that regular aspirin use may
play a role in preventing the most common chronic diseases in western
countries, namely cancer and heart disease.
Excerpted from
Questions and Answers Related to Study of Association of Aspirin and
Non-Aspirin NSAIDS With Cancer Incidence
and Mortality
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/aacr-news/nsaid-qa.html>
--
Matti Narkia
.
- Prev by Date: Prognostic enzyme for nasopharyngeal cancer identified
- Next by Date: Q&A About Study of Link Between Asthma and Breast Cancer Metastasis
- Previous by thread: Prognostic enzyme for nasopharyngeal cancer identified
- Next by thread: Q&A About Study of Link Between Asthma and Breast Cancer Metastasis
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
