Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) may be used prevent cancer in future

The Hindu- Mayo Clinic Cancer Center has begun three clinical studies looking at the use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) to prevent cancer -- colon, esophageal or lung.

This press release issued by Eurekalert says that these studies are part of the ongoing Cancer Center chemoprevention program, using medications to prevent cancer, especially for people with increased cancer risk.

“While searching for the cure is important, even more so is finding effective ways to prevent cancer,” says Paul Limburg, M.D., M.P.H., Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and lead researcher on the colon cancer prevention study. “We have observed that some of the same biological processes that cause inflammation may also be involved in developing cancer, so the next step was to see if drugs that prevent inflammation also serve to lessen the risk of cancer.”

The colon cancer study is looking at the NSAID sulindac (Clinoril®), and its ability to inhibit inflammation and subsequent transformation of damaged cells into cancer cells. Sulindac’s preventive effect will be measured against that of two other potential prevention agents: atorvastatin (Lipitor®), a cholesterol-lowering drug with some reported cancer prevention aspects (Cancer Research, April and July 2006); and Raftilose®Synergy1, a food supplement derived from chicory, also with some supporting research conducted overseas (The British Journal of Nutrition, April 2005).

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