According to a recent study, the regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can reduce serum levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA). The study published early online in the October 15 issue of Cancer articulated that aspirin, ibuprofen, and other anti-inflammatory pain relievers appeared to lower blood PSA levels more than those who did not take these pain relievers, and thereby could alter the detection of prostate cancer in individuals who regularly take these.

Eric A. Singer, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, and colleagues compared blood PSA levels and NSAID and acetaminophen consumption in 1319 men over the age of 40 years who were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2002), a health census conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They reported that those who regularly used NSAIDs had 10 % lower PSA levels compared to men who did not use the drugs. These results suggested that regular NSAID consumption could reduce serum PSA levels.

The authors wrote, "Given the widespread consumption of NSAIDs and the regular use of PSA for the assessment of prostate cancer risk, the potential implications of our findings may be substantial and warrant further investigation.”

The study is the first to find a link between NSAID use and lowered PSA levels but the researchers say the clinical significance of the findings are not clear. The results could indicate that regular use of NSAIDs could help protect against prostrate cancer while it could also mean that NSAIS’s offer no protection at all and simply reduce the sensitivity of PSA as a screening tool for prostate cancer.

Urologist and study researcher Eric A. Singer, MD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center told WebMD, "All we can say from this study is that taking these medications regularly resulted in lower PSA values."

The suspect in many cancers including those of the colon, bladder, and stomach is chronic inflammation and it is also suspected to play a role in prostrate cancer. Regular usage of NSAID’s may help reduce the inflammation and thereby reduce the chances of cancer, but as the results of the study were not conclusive, this was just conjecture said study co-author Edwin van Wijingaarden, PhD. "Several studies have reported a small benefit for NSAID use on prostate cancer, but there is very little information on its impact on PSA, which is the main screening tool for prostate cancer," he said.

More study is needed to reach any conclusion the authors added.  "This study raises many questions, but it is far too early to recommend aspirin, ibuprofen, or other NSAIDs to lower prostate cancer risk," says Singer. Agreeing deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, Len Lichtenfeld, MD said, "NSAIDs are powerful drugs, so we would never recommend them unless the benefits clearly outweighed the risks." Prostrate cancer occurs mostly in men over the age of 60 and the participants of this study were 40 plus, he added. "This is an intriguing study, but the association clearly needs to be looked at in larger populations of men and in older populations," said Lichtenfeld.