NSAIDS and risk of skin cancer

My report on:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of skin cancer:  A population-based case-control study. By:  Johannesdottir, Chang, Mehnert, et al.  In:  Cancer, 2012, May 29. [Epub]

Knowing that Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS....like aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) may prevent the development of cancer by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, these folks from Denmark looked at NSAID use and the risk of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma.  They looked at all cases of those diseases from 1991 through 2009 in northern Denmark. (Squamous = 1,974, basal = 13, 316, and melanoma = 3,242).  They matched 10 population controls (n=178,655) to each case by age, gender, and county of residence.  Use of NSAIDs was noted via a prescription data base.  FINDINGS:  After a great deal of incidence rate ratios and confidence interval statistical shenanigans....they determined that "NSAID ever use compared with nonuse was associated with a decreased risk of squamous cell and melanoma, especially for long-term use and high-intensity use.  NSAID use was not associated with a reduced risk of basal cell.  All estimates of reduced risk were driven primarily by the use of nonselective NSAIDs and older COX-2 inhibitors."

For what it's worth...not sure eating your curcumin, shiitakes, and advil is going to change anything....but just so you know the latest and greatest!!!   - c