Certain over-the-counter painkillers could help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer, results of a five-and-a-half year study suggest. The study of 1,362 men revealed that those who took regular doses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) such as ibuprofen and aspirin were significantly less likely to develop prostate cancer. At the end of the study just 4% of those who regularly took NSAID’s had developed the disease, compared with 9% of the non-treated men. The researchers believe that the anti-inflammatory properties of the painkillers help to reduce inflammation thought to lead to cancerous tissue changes.
SOURCE/ REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 12th March 2002
