NSAIDs don't protect against squamous cell carcinoma: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) don't seem to protect against cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, a retrospective study suggests.

NSAIDs do protect against several other types of cancer, including colorectal, breast, prostate and lung malignancies, and laboratory studies had suggested they might have a similar effect against squamous cell cancers, the researchers note in their report.

Led by Dr. Maryam M. Asgari of Kaiser Permanente Northern California in Oakland, the investigators compared 415 patients with squamous cell carcinoma and 415 matched controls. Via questionnaires, the researchers obtained information from the study subjects on NSAID use and exposure to various risk factors during the preceding 10 years.

They found no significant correlation between self-reported NSAID use and the risk of skin cancer, according to their paper published online February 15 in the Archives of Dermatology.

The adjusted odds ratio for squamous cell carcinoma for patients who had regularly used any NSAID -- defined as at least one dose per week for at least one year -- was 1.32, but this was not statistically significant. Results were similar for regular aspirin use (OR, 1.38), ibuprofen use (OR, 0.74) and non-aspirin NSAID use (OR, 0.84).

Furthermore, the risk of squamous cell carcinoma was actually increased with short-term (one to three years) use of any NSAID (adjusted OR, 1.94).

Cancer patients were more likely to be current smokers and have a family history of skin cancer than controls. They also had more routine sun exposure and severe sunburns.

The study authors pointed out several limitations of the work, including the potential for recall bias in the self-reporting of NSAID use.

"Given the potential toxic effects of NSAIDs, including platelet dysfunction and gastric ulcers, more uniformly efficacious chemopreventive agents with safer adverse effect profiles need to be explored," the authors conclude.

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