A new study published in the International Journal of Cancer suggests that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis), and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may improve survival rates in patients with kidney cancer.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between use of commonly-prescribed medications with potential anti-cancer effects and survival in patients with kidney cancer. The study took place over 16 years, during which data from 9,214 patients with kidney cancer were analysed. All patients were at least 65 years old. When the data were analysed, 5,022 patients had died, of which 2,106 deaths were attributed to cancer.

Analysis of the data suggested that NSAIDs, ACEis, and SSRIs improve disease-specific outcomes in patients with kidney cancer, and that NSAIDs improve overall survival. The duration of use also correlated with the degree of survival benefit.

While these survival improvements were dependent on the method of analysis, the researchers concluded that a method of analysing the data called cumulative-use analysis is the optimal method for classifying drug exposure, and that NSAIDs, ACEis, and SSRIs “may have a role in improving survival outcomes in patients with kidney cancer.”

Read more in Cancer Therapy Advisor here