Aspirin May Reduce Chances of Prostate Cancer

British Medical Journal

A study at the Mayo Clinic suggests that a daily dose of aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may reduce the chances of developing prostate cancer by nearly half in men over 60 years old. The six-year study of 1,362 Caucasian men in Minnesota found that 4 percent of men who took NSAIDs developed prostate cancer, while 9 percent of the control group developed the disease. While the authors of the study believe the results showed a lower cancer risk for regular NSAID users, it has yet to be determined how or why the drugs affect cancer risk. Previous experiments have suggested that they may block production of an enzyme that promotes production of prostaglandins (which are believed to have a connection to prostate cancer). Dr. Rosebud Roberts, epidemiologist and assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, was one of the researchers who took part in this study. She emphasizes that, due to the lack of research on ethnic minorities, it's too soon to suggest that older men should be consuming daily doses of NSAIDs (considering that African-American males have the highest risk of prostate cancer). To read the entire article, go to http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7339/696/c?maxtoshow BMJ 23 March 2002;324:696 Return to Top