Regular use of aspirin, ibuprofen and other common painkillers appear to protect against prostate cancer among older men.
The incidence of prostate cancer increases with advancing age. It rarely occurs in men below 45 years. The exact cause is unknown. It may run in some families or may be related to diet. It may arise due to an imbalance of certain body chemicals or growth factors that control the growth and division of cells in the prostate gland.
Men over the age of 60, who took a daily dose of one of the drugs known collectively as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were half as likely to develop the disease. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic carried out a 5½ year study of 1,362 men in Minnesota. They found four percent of those who took the drugs developed prostate cancer, versus nine per cent of those who did not.
The older the patient, the more pronounced the protective effect of the drugs as reported by the study. But the researcher cautioned that the results were inconclusive and needed confirmation. They also needed to determine the duration and dosage use that provides protection against prostate cancer, and to better understand the biologic mechanisms underlying the association between NSAIDs and prostate cancer. In addition, regular use of such drugs can be harmful, causing stomach problems and liver damage in some people. Previous studies have shown NSAIDs offer protection against breast cancers in women and against colon cancer.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings March 2002, Vol. 1(3)