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Mayo Clinic researchers report that a daily dose of aspirin or other
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) can reduce the risk of
prostate cancer by as much as 83 percent in older men.
The
researchers randomly selected 1,362 men aged 50 to 79 who were
participating in a large Mayo Clinic study of lower urinary tract
symptoms, and followed them for up to six years.
The reported
in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings that 4 percent of the 569
participants who used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs developed
prostate cancer compared to 9 percent of the 793 participants who did not
use the over-the-counter drugs on a daily basis.
Grouped by
age, the researchers found the risk of developing prostate cancer was 12
percent lower in NSAID users aged 50 to 59 at the beginning of the study,
60 percent lower in men aged 60 to 69, and 83 percent lower in men aged 70
to 79.
Dr. Rosebud
Roberts, an epidemiologist who directed the study, said she became
interested in looking at NSAIDs because other studies have linked them to
lower risks of colon and breast cancer.
She said
laboratory tests have show that NSAIDs block the action of an enzyme that
triggers the production of prostaglandins, thought to be associated with
prostate cancer.
"More
research needs to be done," Roberts said. "Our study did not
provide information on the size of the dose and the duration of use that
provides protection."
Source:
Prostate Cancer Week
of March 17, 2002 |
Aloha From Hawaii!
M