The indication is based on research presented at the recent global meeting of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, which took place in Vienna, Austria in December. A summary of the research was sent to Digital Journal for review, although the findings have yet to be published in a peer reviewed journal.
The research presented showed chronic inflammation leads to an increase with the risk of lung cancer; in comparison, medicines designed to reduce inflammation can reduce this risk. While this remains an established medical theory there have been few prospective studies that demonstrate this (by prospective study this means looking at people who may be ‘at risk’ from developing ling cancer, due to their lifestyle, but have yet to show any sign of the disease). The new research presents data on the rate of lung cancer and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (using ibuprofen).
The research was conducted by Dr. Marisa Bittoni who works at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, U.S. Dr. Bittoni analyzed data from 10,735 participants in the Third U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).
The data was reviewed for smoking, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and various lifestyle factors. Initial data was collected for the period 1988-1994. The life of the people was tracked and where they died, the cause of death was noted via the U.S. National Death Index. Statistical analysis was used to draw associations between smoking, ling cancer and the use of ibuprofen.
This review showed that over the next 18 years 269 of the study population died from lung cancer. Of these, 94 percent reported a history of cigarette smoking. Estimates of the effects of ibuprofen were made in relation to those who died and a subgroup of 5,882 individuals who reported a history of past or current cigarette smoking. This revealed that among adults with a history of past or current smoking, ibuprofen use was associated with a substantial (48 percent) decrease in the risk of dying from lung cancer.
The data suggests that the use of ibuprofen could be beneficial to high risk groups. As with any such study further research is likely to be undertaken and any person considered ‘at risk’ should seek appropriate advice from a qualified medical practitioner.
