|
Frequent use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and occurrence of breast cancer
Breast cancer is prevalent in western nations and occurs mostly among post-menopausal women. Non-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) and the cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors inhibit the COX-2 enzyme that is expressed more in breast cancers than in normal breast tissue. Through a provincial health care administrative database, we identified a group of women who had undergone mammographic screening and did not have a previous diagnosis of breast cancer. Women diagnosed with breast cancer following mammography were compared to women with no evidence of breast cancer in terms of exposure to non-selective NSAIDs (not including aspirin), COX-2 inhibitors or aspirin using a logistic regression model. Frequent exposure to either non-selective NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors (more than 3 months/year cumulative) was associated with a statistically significant 25% reduction in breast cancer occurrence as was frequent exposure to aspirin at an average daily dose > 100mg. Among women who require non-selective NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors for pain control and among those who require aspirin for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, reduced occurrence of breast cancer appears to be an additional benefit of the use of these medications.
Bibliographical reference:
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
|