Skip to main content
Log in

Long-term use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and other chemopreventors and risk of subsequent colorectal neoplasia

  • Gastrointestinal Oncology
  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Our objective was to study the relationship between dispensed aspirin, nonaspirin nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (SAIDs), acetaminophen, calcium, psyllium, and multivitamin preparations and the risk for subsequent colorectal adenoma and adenocarcinoma. The design was a case-control study. The patient population was from a large municipal teaching hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. In logistic regression models, the risk of colorectal adenoma or adenocarcinoma decreased in the first two years of continuous NSAID use in a linear, time-dependent manner. The risk of colorectal neoplasia after two years of continuous NSAID use was reduced significantly (P<0.01) as compared to nonusers. Risk reduction appeared greater for adenocarcinoma than adenoma. The use of SAIDs, calcium, multivitamins, and psyllium, as prescribed to our patient population during the mean six-year study period, conferred no measurable risk reduction. These results suggest that in prospective chemoprevention trials, a significant risk reduction can be expected after only two years of aspirin use, in doses similar to those recommended for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, or nonaspirin. NSAIDs, in doses commonly prescribed for the management of musculoskeletal pain. The results also imply that any short-term reduction in the incidence of colorectal adenoma detected in a phase II trial would underestimate the chemopreventive effect of NSAIDs on the risk of adenocarcinoma.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Boring CC, Squires TS, Tong T, Montgomery S: Cancer statistics, 1994. CA 44:27–43, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  2. Potter JD, Slattery ML, Bostick RM, Gapstur SM: Colon cancer: A review of the epidemiology. Epidemiol Rev 15:499–545, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  3. Zimmerman J: Does dietary calcium supplementation reduce the risk of colon cancer? Nutr Rev 51:109–112, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  4. Dwyer J: Dietary fiber and colorectal cancer risk. Nutr Rev 51:147–155, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ausman LM: Fiber and colon cancer: Does the current evidence justify a preventive policy? Nutr Rev 51:57–63, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  6. Baron JA, Greenburg ER: Could aspirin really prevent colon cancer. N Engl J Med 325:1644–1646, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  7. Farmer KC, Goulston K, Mcrae F: Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug in the chemoprevention of colorectal cancer. Med J Aust 159:649–650, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  8. Greenburg ER, Baron JA: Prospects for preventing colorectal cancer death. J Natl Cancer Inst 85:1182–1183, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  9. Paganini-Hill A: Aspirin and colorectal cancer. Br Med J 307:278–279, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  10. Waterhouse DM, Brenner D: Aspirin, NSAIDS and risk reduction of colorectal cancer Arch Interm Med 154:366–367, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  11. Baron JA, Adami AO: A broad anticancer effect of aspirin? Epidemiology 5:133–134, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  12. Marnett LJ: Aspirin and the potential role of prostaglandins in colon cancer. Cancer Res 52:5575–5589, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  13. Earnest DJ, Hixson LJ, Alberts DS: Pirioxicam and other cyclooxygenase inhibitors: A potential for cancer chemoprevention. J Cell Biochem Suppl 161:156–166, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  14. Turner D, Berkel HJ: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the prevention of colon cancer. Can Med Assoc J 149:595–602, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  15. Waddell WR: The effect of sulindac on colon polyps: Circumvention of a transformed phenotype—a hypothesis. J Surg Oncol 55:52–55, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kune GA, Kune S, Watson LF: Colorectal cancer risk, chronic illnesses, operations, and medications: Case-control results from the Melbourne colorectal cancer study. Cancer Res 48:4399–4404, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  17. Rosenburg L, Palmer RJ, Zauber AG, Warshauer ME, Stolley PD: A hypothesis: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the incidence of large-bowel cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 83:355–358, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  18. Peleg I, Maibach HT, Brown SH, Wilcox, CM: Aspirin and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use and the risk of subsequent colorectal cancer. Arch Intern Med 154:394–399, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  19. Suh O, Mettlin C, Petrelli NJ: Aspirin use, cancer and polyps of the large bowel. Cancer 72:1171–1177, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  20. Logan RFA, Little J, Hatwin PG, Hardcastle JD: Effect of aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the risk of colorectal adenomas: Case-control study of subjects participating in the Nottingham faecal occult blood screening programme. Br Med J 307:285–288, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  21. Greenburg ER, Baron JA, Freeman DH, Mandel JS, Haile R: Reduced risk of large bowel adenomas among aspirin users. J Natl Cancer Inst 85:912–916, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  22. Thun MJ, Nambroodiri MN, Heath CW Jr: Aspirin use and reduced risk of fatal colon cancer. N Engl J Med 325:1593–1596, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  23. Thun MJ, Calle EE, Nambroodiri MM, Heath CW Jr., et al: Risk factors for fatal colon cancer in a large prospective study. J Natl Cancer Inst 84:1491–1500, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  24. Schreinemachers DM, Everson RB: Aspirin use and lung, colon, and breast cancer incidence in a prospective study. Epidemiology 5:138–146, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  25. Paganini-Hill A, Chao A, Ross RK, Henderson BE: Aspirin use and chronic diseases: A cohort study in the elderly. Br Med J 299:1247–1250, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  26. Paganini-Hill A, Hsu G, Ross RK, Henderson BE: Aspirin use and incidence of large-bowel in a California retirement community J Natl Cancer Inst 83:1182–1183, 1991 (letter)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Paganini-Hill A, Hsu G, Ross RK, Henderson BE: Aspirin use and reduced risk of fatal colon cancer. N Engl J Med 326:1290, 1992 (letter)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Gann PH, Manson JE, Glynn RJ, Buring JE, Hennekens CH: Low-dose aspirin use and the incidence of colorectal tumors in a randomized trial. J Natl Cancer Inst 85:1220–1224, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  29. Muscat JE, Stellman SD, Wynder EL: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and colorectal cancer. Cancer 74:1846–1857, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  30. Tempero MA: Progress in chemoprevention of gastrointestinal cancer. Curr Opin Oncol 3:719–726, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  31. Walker HK, Camp H, Brown S: The THERESA on-line medical record. Presentation to the Society of General Internal Medicine 14th Annual Meeting May 1, 1990

  32. BMDP Statistical Software Inc. v. 1993, Los Angeles, California 90025

  33. Bedenne L, Faivre J, Boutron MC, et al: Adenoma-carcinoma sequence or “de novo” carcinogenesis? A study of adenomatous remenants in a population-based series of large bowel cancer. Cancer 69:883–888, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  34. Horm JW, Asire AJ, Young AJ, Jr. Pollack ES: SEER program: Cancer incidence and mortality in the United States 1973–1981. NIH Publication 85-1873, Bethesda, Maryland 20205, National Cancer Institute

  35. Smigel K: Aspirin's next conquest: Does it prevent colorectal cancer? J Natl Cancer Inst 86:166–168, 1994

    Google Scholar 

  36. Cairns J, Cohen L, Colton T, et al: Issues in the early termination of the aspirin component of the Physicians' Health Study. Ann Epidemiol 1:395–405, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  37. Physician's Desk Reference. Medical Economics Data 1992, p 1447

  38. DuBois RN: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and sporadic colorectal adenoma. Gastroenterology 108:A478, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  39. Hanif R, Pittas A, Feng Y, Koutsos MI, Shiff SJ, Staiano-Coico L, Rigas B: NSAIDs inhibit the cell growth of colon cancer cell lines by a prostaglandin independent pathway. Gastroenterology 108:A478, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  40. Waddell WR, Ganser GF, Cerise EJ, Loughry RW: Sulindac for polyposis of the colon. Am J Surg 157:175–179, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  41. Rigau J, Pique JM, Rubio E, Planas R, Tarrech JM, Bordas JM: Effects of long-term sulindac therapy on colonic polyposis. Ann Intern Med 115:952–955, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  42. Giardiello FM, Hamilton SR, Krush AJ, et al: Treatment of colonic and rectal adenomas with sulindac in familial adenomatous polyposis. N Engl J Med 328:1313–1316, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  43. Labayle D, Fischer D, Viehl P, Drouhin F, Pariente F, Bories C, Duhamel O, Trousset M, Attali P: Sulindac causes regression of rectal polyps in familial adenomatous polyposis. Gastroenterology 101:635–639, 1991

    Google Scholar 

  44. Rickert RR, Auerbach O, Garfinkel L, Hammond EC, Frasca JM: Adenomatous lesions of the large bowel. Cancer 43:1847–1857, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  45. Eddy DM: Screening for colorectal cancer. Ann Intern Med 113:373–384, 1990

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peleg, I.I., Lubin, M.F., Cotsonis, G.A. et al. Long-term use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and other chemopreventors and risk of subsequent colorectal neoplasia. Digest Dis Sci 41, 1319–1326 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088554

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088554

Key words

Navigation