Analgesic Use and Ovarian Cancer Risk: An Analysis in the Ovarian Cancer Cohort Consortium.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Aspirin use is associated with reduced risk of several cancers. A pooled analysis of 12 case-control studies showed a 10% decrease in ovarian cancer risk with regular aspirin use, which was stronger for daily and low-dose users. To prospectively investigate associations of analgesic use with ovarian cancer, we analyzed data from 13 studies in the Ovarian Cancer Cohort Consortium (OC3).

METHODS:

The current study included 758 829 women who at study enrollment self-reported analgesic use, among whom 3514 developed ovarian cancer. Using Cox regression, we assessed associations between frequent medication use and risk of ovarian cancer. Dose and duration were also evaluated. All statistical tests were two-sided.

RESULTS:

Women who used aspirin almost daily (≥6 days/wk) vs infrequent/nonuse experienced a 10% reduction in ovarian cancer risk (rate ratio [RR] = 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.82 to 1.00, P = .05). Frequent use (≥4 days/wk) of aspirin (RR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.88 to 1.03), nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; RR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.90 to 1.11), or acetaminophen (RR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.88 to 1.24) was not associated with risk. Daily acetaminophen use (RR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.00 to 1.65, P = .05) was associated with elevated ovarian cancer risk. Risk estimates for frequent, long-term (10+ years) use of aspirin (RR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.98 to 1.34) or nonaspirin NSAIDs (RR = 1.19, 95% CI = 0.84 to 1.68) were modestly elevated, although not statistically significantly so.

CONCLUSIONS:

This large, prospective analysis suggests that women who use aspirin daily have a slightly lower risk of developing ovarian cancer (∼10% lower than infrequent/nonuse)-similar to the risk reduction observed in case-control analyses. The observed potential elevated risks for 10+ years of frequent aspirin and NSAID use require further study but could be due to confounding by medical indications for use or variation in drug dosing.

• Authors: Britton Trabert, Elizabeth M Poole, Emily White, Kala Visvanathan, Hans-Olov Adami, Garnet L Anderson, Theodore M Brasky, Louise A Brinton, Renee T Fortner, Mia Gaudet, Patricia Hartge, Judith Hoffman-Bolton, Michael Jones, James V Lacey, Susanna C Larsson, Gerardo G Mackenzie, Leo J Schouten, Dale P Sandler, Katie O'Brien, Alpa V Patel, Ulrike Peters, Anna Prizment, Kim Robien, V Wendy Setiawan, Anthony Swerdlow, Piet A van den Brandt, Elisabete Weiderpass, Lynne R Wilkens, Alicja Wolk, Nicolas Wentzensen, Shelley S Tworoger, Ovarian Cancer Cohort Consortium (OC3)
• Journal: Journal of the National Cancer Institute (J Natl Cancer Inst) Vol. 111 Issue 2 Pg. 137-145 (02 01 2019) ISSN: 1460-2105 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 29860330 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Published by Oxford University Press 2018.

Chemical References

• Analgesics
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Aspirin

Topics

• Analgesics (therapeutic use)
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (therapeutic use)
• Aspirin (therapeutic use)
• Europe (epidemiology)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Ovarian Neoplasms (epidemiology, prevention & control)
• Prognosis
• Prospective Studies
• Risk Assessment (methods)
• Risk Factors
• United States (epidemiology)