Risk of lung carcinoma among users of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.

BACKGROUND Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit the development of lung tumors in experimental animals. To the authors' knowledge there are little data regarding whether regular use of NSAIDs reduces the risk of developing lung carcinoma in humans. METHODS The association between lung carcinoma risk and regular use of NSAIDs, including aspirin, was evaluated in a hospital-based case-control study of 1038 patients and 1002 controls. RESULTS The relative risk estimate of lung carcinoma associated with using NSAIDs 3 times a week or more for 1 or more years demonstrated an odds ratio (OR) of 0.68 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.53-0.89). Results were similar when separated by lung histologic type. The association varied by smoking status. The OR was 1.28 (95% CI, 0.73-2.25) in never-smokers and 0.60 (95% CI 0.45-0.80) in ever-smokers. The smoking-specific risk estimates for aspirin were similar to those for all NSAIDs. CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study suggest a possible chemoprotective benefit with the use of NSAIDs among individuals who are former or current smokers.