NSAID use increases colorectal cancer survival rate in some patients — 4 study insights

A study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, examined how nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs affected all-cause mortality in colorectal cancer patients.

Polly Newcomb, MD, an epidemiologist at Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and colleagues conducted an observational study of 2,419 newly diagnosed patients in the Colon Cancer Family Registry.

Researchers divided the patients into groups: patients who took NSAIDs before the diagnosis, patients who took the drugs post-diagnosis, patients who quit using the drugs post-diagnosis and those who did not use the drugs.

Researchers followed up with the patients at a median 10.8 years after diagnosis.

Here's what you should know:

1. Approximately 42 percent regularly took NSAIDs in both aspirin and nonaspirin forms.

2. Approximately 381 patients died, 100 because of their CRC.

3. Postdiagnostic aspirin-only users have favorable survival and CRC-specific survival scores over nonusers. Patients who initiated aspirin use after diagnosis also had favorable scores.

4. Overall survival rate for patients who used NSAIDs after diagnosis differed through KRAS-mutation status. KRAS-mutations are common in colon cancers.

Patients who used NSAIDs after diagnosis had improved survival rates if they had KRAS wild-type tumors. NSAID use among those with KRAS-mutant tumors showed no improvement.

Researchers concluded, "Among long-term CRC survivors, regular use of NSAIDs after CRC diagnosis was significantly associated with improved survival in individuals with KRAS wild-type tumors."

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