TUESDAY, Oct. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for at least 10 years is associated with a lower rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality in postmenopausal women, according to a study presented at the American Association of Cancer Research's International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, held from Oct. 22 to 25 in Boston.
Anna E. Coghill, M.P.H., from the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues evaluated the association between aspirin and non-aspirin NSAID use and CRC mortality in postmenopausal women. Data on multiple types, durations, and strengths of NSAIDs use were collected from 160,143 postmenopausal women with no history of CRC at baseline who were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative study. A total of 2,119 CRC cases and 492 deaths due to CRC were identified from reviews of medical records and death certificates.
The investigators found no association between baseline NSAID use (aspirin, ibuprofen, and prescription NSAIDs) and CRC mortality. Women who used NSAIDs both at enrollment and three years after enrollment had about a 30 percent lower CRC mortality rate versus those who either did not use NSAIDs or who reported using them at only one of those two points in time. Compared to women reporting no NSAID use, those reporting at least 10 years of NSAID use at baseline showed significant reductions in CRC mortality.
"Our results suggest that NSAID use is associated with lower colorectal cancer mortality among postmenopausal women who use these medications more consistently and for longer periods of time," Coghill said in a statement.
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