Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen may decrease serum levels of PSA, which could affect detection of prostate cancer, according to a report in Cancer (2008; published online ahead of print).

Men who used NSAIDs regularly had PSA levels about 10% lower than men who did not.

The findings come from a study of 1,319 men over age 40 who participated in the 2002 National health and Nutrition Examination Survey.


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Corresponding author Edwin van Wijngaarden, PhD, an assistant professor in the division of epidemiology, community, and preventive medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, noted: “While our results are consistent with other research that indicates that certain painkillers may reduce a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer, the new findings are preliminary and don’t prove a link.”