Previous studies suggest that taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, which include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen, as well as a variety of other nonprescription and prescription drugs, can decrease an individual’s risk of developing some types of cancer.

Sigrún Alba Jóhannesdóttir, B.Sc., of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, and her colleagues analyzed medical records from northern Denmark from 1991 through 2009 and identified 1,974 diagnoses of squamous cell carcinoma, 13,316 diagnoses of basal cell carcinoma, and 3,242 diagnoses of malignant melanoma. They compared information, including prescription data, from these patients with information from 178,655 individuals without skin cancer.

Individuals who filled more than two prescriptions for NSAIDs had a 15 percent decreased risk for developing squamous cell carcinoma and a 13 percent decreased risk for developing malignant melanoma than those who filled two or fewer prescriptions for the medications, especially when the drugs were taken for seven or more years or taken at high intensity.

Individuals who took NSAIDs did not seem to benefit from a reduced risk of developing basal cell carcinoma in general, although they did have a 15 percent and 21 percent reduced risk of developing this type of cancer on less-exposed sites (body areas other than the head and neck) when they took them long term or at high intensity, respectively.

“We hope that the potential cancer-protective effect of NSAIDs will inspire more research on skin cancer prevention,” said Ms. Jóhannesdóttir. “Also, this potential cancer-protective effect should be taken into account when discussing benefits and harms of NSAID use.”

Click here for sun protection tips from the World Health Organization.

Source Article: “Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of skin cancer: A population-based case-control study.” Sigrún Alba Jóhannesdóttir, Ellen T. Chang, Frank Mehnert, Morten Schmidt, Anne Braae Olesen, Henrik Toft Sørensen. CANCER; Published Online: May 29, 2012 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.27406).

Summer Skin Care The Saturday Evening Post

A: Aspirin inhibits blood clotting by reducing the “stickiness” of platelets. This helps lower the incidence 
of stroke and heart attacks, but may increase the risk of bleeding. In general, people at low risk of having a heart attack or stroke shouldn’t take daily aspirin because the chance of bleeding outweighs any potential benefit. In contrast, low-dose aspirin therapy is beneficial for those who carry an increased risk of heart attack or stroke, including people with the irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation.

Low-Dose Aspirin for Heart Health The Saturday Evening Post

Coumadin (trade name warfarin) “thins” the blood by interfering with its normal clotting processes. This action is important in patients who have a condition that may predispose to the development of blood clots, such as some forms of phlebitis, a heart-rhythm problem called atrial fibrillation, foreign bodies in the bloodstream such as artificial heart valves, and a host of other conditions. In these patients, Coumadin can prevent blood clots from forming, and thus prevent dangerous complications such as strokes. The degree to which Coumadin is affecting clotting is monitored by a blood test called INR (international normalized ratio), generally checked monthly. Changes in the dose of Coumadin, diet, and the action of other drugs that can affect the metabolism of Coumadin can reduce or augment its actions.

When you say your blood was “dangerously thin,” it sounds like something enhanced the effects of Coumadin and your blood became excessively anticoagulated. Think back to whether you added a new medication, changed doses, altered your diet, or did something else that might have affected the Coumadin. Go over this with your doctor because it is important to prevent excessive anticoagulation from happening again. It sounds like you did not have a permanent complication, but that can happen if your blood gets too thin, and such a bleeding complication needs to be avoided.

Aspirin (Bufferin is just a trade name for aspirin) also affects the normal clotting process but by a different mechanism. Aspirin interferes with the ability of platelets to clump together to form clots. Sometimes aspirin and Coumadin are taken together, but that can increase the chance of bleeding.

Thinning Blood and Coumadin The Saturday Evening Post