Researchers have found that use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) after diagnosis appears to improve survival for patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. The study results were published in Lancet Oncology.
Using data from the prospective Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II, researchers analyzed 1,031 participants for self-reported prediagnosis NSAID use and 964 participants for self-reported postdiagnosis NSAID use. Patients had confirmed invasive stage I–II epithelial ovarian cancer.
Compared with never users, patients who used NSAIDs after diagnosis in the past two years had improved ovarian cancer-specific survival. No improved survival was found for prediagnosis use.
The researchers said that further studies are needed to confirm the findings, but it could open the door for new research to “explore potential synergistic effects of anti-inflammatory medications used in combination with standard ovarian cancer therapies to improve prognosis.”