Painkillers may guard against skin cancer
Aspirin and other similar painkillers may help protect against skin cancer, according to a study published online today in Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society.
This finding follows up on studies that have suggested a link between taking commonly used medications - including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Nsaids) such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen - and a lower risk of developing some types of cancer.
In a study published in Britain's Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2010, for example, a widely used arthritis drug called celecoxib (a prescription-strength Nsaid) was found to reduce non-melanoma skin cancers, which includes basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, by 62 per cent in adults.
The researchers, from the University of Rochester in New York state, noted that the decrease in these cancers is much greater than that achieved through the use of sunscreen, which provides only moderate protection against non-melanoma skin cancers.
In the study published today, researchers from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark analysed whether the medications might decrease the risk of those two types of skin cancer, as well as malignant melanoma.
The researchers analysed records from northern Denmark from 1991 through 2009 and found 1,974 diagnoses of squamous cell carcinoma, 13,316 diagnoses of basal cell carcinoma, and 3,242 diagnoses of malignant melanoma. These patients' information, including prescription data, was compared with that from nearly 180,000 people without skin cancer.
It was found that those who filled more than two prescriptions for Nsaids had a 15 per cent lower risk for developing squamous cell carcinoma and a 13 per cent decreased risk for developing malignant melanoma than those who filled two or fewer prescriptions for the medications, especially when the drugs were taken for seven or more years or taken at high intensity.
However, those who took Nsaids didn't seem to benefit from a reduced risk of developing basal cell carcinoma - even though people who took them long term were 15 per cent less likely to develop this type of cancer on less-exposed sites (body areas other than the head and neck), and those who took them at high intensity were 21 per cent less likely.
'We hope that the potential cancer-protective effect of Nsaids will inspire more research on skin cancer prevention,' says lead researcher Dr Sigrun Alba Johannesdottir. 'Also, this potential cancer-protective effect should be taken into account when discussing benefits and harms of Nsaid use.'
Caffeine is another possible ally in the fight against skin cancer. When applied directly to the skin, it might help prevent damaging ultraviolet light from causing certain skin cancers, according to a study on mice published last year by Rutgers University. Caffeine inhibits a protein enzyme in the skin, reducing the risk of cells becoming cancerous.
