ibu to reduce breast and ovarian cancer

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Ibuprofen linked to reduced risks of ovarian and breast cancer

Two new epidemiological studies provide further evidence that NSAIDs, and ibuprofen in particular, are associated with a reduced risk of cancer in women.

Ovarian cancer
An observational study of women in North Carolina found that use of NSAIDs, most frequently ibuprofen, is associated with a 28 percent reduction in the risk of ovarian cancer (Epidemiology 2006;17:104-7).

The study compared the use of NSAIDs and paracetamol within the previous five years by 586 women who had developed ovarian cancer and 627 matched controls. Any NSAID use was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of ovarian cancer of 0.72 (CI95% 0.56 - 0.92). There was no evidence that the risk varied with frequency of use or duration of use, though the risk reduction was slightly stronger among women who had used only OTC NSAIDs rather than only prescribed NSAIDs. There was no difference in risk by cancer subtype.

Separate analyses revealed similar levels of risk reduction with aspirin, COX-2 selective NSAIDs and paracetamol but (with the exception of frequent aspirin use) these did not reach statistical significance.

The authors note that various studies have reported contradictory findings on the link between NSAID use and the risk of ovarian cancer, possibly due to differences in defining drug use and the duration of exposure. The five-year limit in this study may under-estimate the risk reduction because a woman who stopped regular use before then was classed as a non-user.

Breast cancer
This case-control study from Ohio compared the use of NSAIDs in 323 women with invasive breast cancer and 649 matched controls. The minimum duration of exposure was defined as 5 years for ibuprofen or aspirin and 2 years for COX-2 selective NSAIDs.

Taking ibuprofen at a dose of 200 mg more than three times a week was associated with 72 percent lower risk of breast cancer (OR 0.28, CI95% 0.13 - 0.61); less frequent use was also associated with a reduced risk but this was not statistically significant (OR 0.59, CI95% 0.21 - 1.67). The study also found significantly reduced risks associated with daily use COX-2 selective NSAIDs, and use of aspirin at least three times weekly. By contrast, paracetamol and low-dose aspirin (82 mg/day) were not associated with reduced risk.

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