Non-aspirin NSAIDs and head and neck cancer mortality in a Danish nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have antineoplastic properties of potential importance for survival of head and neck cancer. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide cohort study including all individuals with primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in Denmark during 2000-2016 at age 30-84 years, with no history of cancer (except non-melanoma skin cancer), and alive at 1 year after diagnosis. Nationwide registries provided information on drug use, causes of death and potential confounders, and additional clinical information was obtained for a subpopulation. We conducted Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between post-diagnosis non-aspirin NSAID use (defined as ≥1 filled prescription within first year after diagnosis) and cancer-specific mortality. RESULTS: Among 10,770 head and neck cancer 1-year survivors, the HR for cancer-specific mortality with non-aspirin NSAID use was 1.68 at 1 year after diagnosis, but declined and stabilized around 1.15 (95% CI 1.02-1.29) at 2 years after diagnosis. Among 2-year survivors, the HRs for cancer-specific mortality with non-aspirin NSAID use remained slightly increased in analyses stratified by age, sex, stage, and pre-diagnosis non-aspirin NSAID use. Similar results were seen in the subpopulation (n = 1029) with additional clinical information, and among 5-year survivors with additional non-aspirin NSAID exposure assessment. CONCLUSION: In this nationwide cohort of patients with head and neck cancer, use of non-aspirin NSAIDs was associated with a slightly increased mortality risk, warranting further evaluation.

Low-dose aspirin use and mortality risk in patients with head and neck cancer: A nationwide cohort study of 10 770 patients.

Several recent observational studies have linked low-dose aspirin use to improved survival in patients with head and neck cancer. However, studies of patterns of aspirin use and risk of cancer-specific mortality are lacking. This nationwide cohort study included all patients in the Danish Cancer Registry with a primary diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) during 2000 to 2016, aged 30 to 84 years, without prior cancer (except nonmelanoma skin cancer) and alive 1 year after diagnosis. Nationwide registries provided information on filled prescriptions, mortality and potential confounding factors. For a subpopulation, a clinical database provided additional information, including human papillomavirus (HPV) tumor status. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between postdiagnostic low-dose aspirin use (≥1 prescription within first year after diagnosis) and risk of cancer-specific mortality. We identified 10 770 patients with HNSCC during a median follow-up of 3.9 years. Of these, 1799 (16.7%) were low-dose aspirin users. Postdiagnostic use of low-dose aspirin was associated with a HR of 0.97 (95% CI 0.82-1.15) for cancer-specific mortality. Similar neutral associations were found according to patterns of aspirin use. No apparent trends emerged according to age, sex, topography or stage. A tendency towards a decreased cancer-specific mortality risk with low-dose aspirin use was observed among HPV-positive patients; however, the statistical precision was low. In conclusion, we did not observe an association between postdiagnostic low-dose aspirin use and cancer-specific mortality in a nationwide cohort of patients with HNSCC.