Analgesics pain relief medications particularly aspirin reduces the risk of serious ovarian cancer, an aggressive carcinoma according to a new Danish study but when it comes to using non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or other analgesics had no effect on reducing the risk.
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological malignancy and the fifth-leading cause of death by cancer for women in developed countries.
According to the American Cancer Society 22,280 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed this year in the United States. It is the fifth cause of death of cancer in women. About half the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are 60 or older.
Dr. Susanne Kjær, MD, DMSc, Professor at the Juliane Marie Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Head of Department of Viruses, Hormones and Cancer Research; the Danish Cancer Society, lead author of study stated “Ovarian cancer has a high mortality. Understanding what factors are involved in the development of this disease and investigating preventative interventions for women are vitally important.” “Our study examined the role of analgesics in development of ovarian cancer.”
In this population-based case-control study examined ovarian cancer in Danish women. Researchers examined data from 756 women with epithelial ovarian cancer classified as adenocarcinomas, 447 were serious, 138 were mucinous (carcinomas comprised of at least 60% mucus) and other types accounted for 171 women and 1564 randomly selected control women aged 35–79 years.
Information on analgesic drug use was collected from personal interviews. Analgesic drugs were divided into the following categories: any analgesics; aspirin; non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; paracetamol (acetaminophen); and other analgesic drugs.
The findings of the study revealed that women taking aspirin on a regular basis decreased their serious risk of ovarian cancer (odds ration OR = 0.68). Regular use of non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, paracetamol or other analgesics did not decrease ovarian cancer risk.
In their conclusion researchers had written “In accordance with most previous studies, our results indicate a possible inverse association between analgesic use, particularly aspirin, and ovarian cancer risk.”
Dr. Kjaer commented “Our findings suggest a potential protective effect of analgesic use on ovarian cancer risk, but that benefit should be balanced against adverse effects of pain medication use, such as risk of bleeding and peptic ulcers.”
The researchers recommend larger studies are needed that accurately assess dosage, frequency and duration of use are necessary to understand d the impact of analgesic use on ovarian cancer.
This study was published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, a journal of the Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
A population based controlled study in western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and western New York State included 902 women with incident epithelial ovarian cancer who were diagnosed between February 2003 and November 2008 as well as 1802 matched controls.
The study found women who continuously used aspirin had a decreased risk odds ratio at 0.71 and those who took low dose aspirin daily had a decreased risk odds ratio of 0.72.
The researchers concluded “Risk reductions of ovarian cancer were observed with use of aspirin or selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors”.
