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Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, statins, and pancreatic cancer risk: a population-based case–control study

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Abstract

Purpose

Studies suggest that aspirin, other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and statins may reduce risk of some cancers. However, findings have been conflicting as to whether these agents reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Methods

We used data from the Queensland Pancreatic Cancer Study, a population-based case–control study. In total, 704 cases and 711 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited. Participants completed an interview in which they were asked about history of NSAID and statin use. We included 522 cases and 653 controls who had completed the medication section of the interview in this analysis. Unconditional multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate associations between medication use and pancreatic cancer.

Results

We found no consistent evidence of an association between use of NSAIDs or statins and risk of pancreatic cancer. There was some suggestion of a protective effect in infrequent users of selective COX-2 inhibitors, but no association in more frequent users. We did not find evidence of protective effects in analyses stratified by sex, smoking status, time between diagnosis and interview, or presence/absence of metastases.

Conclusions

Overall, our results do support the hypothesis that use of NSAIDs or statins may reduce the odds of developing pancreatic cancer.

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Acknowledgments

This project was funded by a project grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC). L Fritschi, PM Webb, DC Whiteman, and RE Neale are funded by fellowships from the NHMRC. We would like to acknowledge the support of clinicians throughout Queensland who assisted with the recruitment of participants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia

    Pik Fang Kho, Penelope M. Webb, David C. Whiteman & Rachel E. Neale

  2. School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    Pik Fang Kho & Jonathan Fawcett

  3. School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia

    Lin Fritschi

  4. School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Harvey Risch

  5. School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    Penelope M. Webb, David C. Whiteman & Rachel E. Neale

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  1. Pik Fang Kho
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  2. Jonathan Fawcett
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  3. Lin Fritschi
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  4. Harvey Risch
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  7. Rachel E. Neale
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Correspondence to Rachel E. Neale.

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Kho, P.F., Fawcett, J., Fritschi, L. et al. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, statins, and pancreatic cancer risk: a population-based case–control study. Cancer Causes Control 27, 1457–1464 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-016-0824-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-016-0824-4

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