Pang Q et al. - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been shown to reduce the risk of several types of cancer; however, the association between NSAID intake and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been established. The current meta-analysis showed that NSAIDs significantly reduce the incident and recurrent risk of HCC.

Methods

• The databases of PubMed, EmBase, Web of Science, and Scopus and screened eligible publications were reviewed.

Results

• 12 articles from 5 countries were identified.
• A significantly lower risk of HCC was shown among users of NSAIDs than among those who did not use NSAIDs (HR = 0.81).
• When stratified according to the categories of NSAIDs, users of non-aspirin NSAIDs (HR =0.81), but not aspirin (HR = 0.77), showed a significant reduction in HCC incidence.
• NSAID use significantly reduced the recurrent risk of HCC (HR = 0.79).
• There was no association between NSAID use and HCC mortality (HR = 0.65).