Study finds aspirin may reduce risk of esophageal cancer

Barrett’s esophagus is a precancerous condition associated with chronic heartburn that affects an estimated 1 million to 2 million Americans.

Five years after joining the study, the incidence of esophageal cancer was 14.4% among people who have never used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), 9.7% among former users, and 6.6 percent among current users.

“We found that people with Barrett’s esophagus who regularly took NSAIDs like aspirin or ibuprofen did not go on to get cancer as frequently or as soon as people who did not take these medications regularly,” said Dr Thomas Vaughan, head of the Epidemiology Program and member of the Hutchinson Center’s Public Health Sciences Division. “Current users of NSAIDs had one-third the risk of getting esophageal adenocarcinoma as compared to never users,” he said.

Previous randomized clinical trials in humans have shown that aspirin and other NSAIDs significantly reduce the risk and mortality for cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer. Preliminary studies also suggest these drugs may be protective against breast and lung cancers.

It is hypothesized that NSAIDs may fight cancer by reducing chronic inflammation, which is a driving force behind the development of many cancers and other diseases. Specifically, NSAIDs have been shown to inhibit the production of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme. Disruption of this pathway slows the growth of abnormal cells and facilitates the normal process of programmed cell death, or apoptosis, both of which can thwart cancer development.