Study Find NSAIDs Improve Survival in Head and Neck Cancer

Regular use of aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) improved survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with PIK3CA mutations or amplification, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Researchers evaluated 266 patients with HNSCC from a single center.

Among those with PIK3CA mutations or amplification, regular NSAID use (defined as ≥6 months) was associated with prolonged disease-specific survival (DSS; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.23; 95% CI, 0.09-0.62; P = 0.0032) and overall survival (OS; HR=0.31; 95% CI, 0.14-0.69; P = 0.0043) compared with patients who did not regularly use NSAIDs.

Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, significantly improves survival for a third or more patients with head and neck cancer, shows a new study published in @JExpMed (https://t.co/b9uwZn01oV). Read news coverage in The @Independent: https://t.co/5Q892irl1q

— Rockefeller U. Press (@RockUPress) January 28, 2019

Predicted five-year DSS was 72% for NSAID users and 25% for non-users among patients with PIK3CA-altered HNSCC (HR=0.24; P = 0.0032). Predicted five-year OS was 78% and 45%, respectively.

Aspirin was a component of the NSAID regimen in 93% of regular users, and 73% used aspirin exclusively. Most regular users (86%) began NSAID therapy after being diagnosed with HNSCC.

“These findings uncover a biologically plausible rationale to implement NSAID therapy in PIK3CA-altered HNSCC,” the researchers concluded.

Source: Journal of Experimental Medicine