Ibuprofen cuts lung cancer risk

Regular use of ibuprofen might reduce the risk of dying from lung cancer, according to study findings presented at the IASLC (International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer) 17th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Vienna, Austria.

A report in the Inquisitr yesterday said this possible benefit seemed to apply to both former smokers and current smokers.

It quoted researchers involved in the study as suggesting that regular ibuprofen use might lower the risk of lung cancer death.

The idea that ibuprofen use might reduce risks associated with smoking didn’t appear out of the blue. Earlier studies had associated inflammation with an increased risk of lung cancer; so the question arose as to whether the regular use of an anti-inflammatory medication would have a positive effect.

Dr. Marisa Bittoni, of Ohio State University, US, and fellow researchers set out to examine this question, analyzing data from 10,735 adults who participated in the US’ Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

The team looked at the subject’s use of ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, their smoking status, and other lifestyle factors. The participants followed up for an average of almost two decades while participating in the NHANES III.

The team discovered that former and current smokers who used ibuprofen regularly were 48 percent less likely to die from lung cancer than those who did not use ibuprofen regularly.

The full story is at: http://www.inquisitr.com/3808068/ibuprofen-reduces-risk-of-death-from-lung-cancer-among-former-and-current-smokers-researchers-say/