STRESS UPS SKIN CANCER RISK

NSAID's NOT RECOMMENDED FOR OA PAIN

A study in mice underscores the connection between stress and disease. The analysis shows that stressed mice are at an elevated risk of skin cancer.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins exposed mice to cancer-causing UV light. Mice who were also subjected to stressful conditions developed skin cancers in less than half the time it took the non-stressed mice to grow tumors.

"There's a lot of evidence pointing to the negative effects of chronic stress, which dampens our immune system and impacts various aspects of our health," says study director Francisco Tausk, MD.

"Stress reduction programs usually are a good option for many people, but we think they may be more important for individuals at high-risk for skin cancer," he adds.

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology - December 2004;51:919-22.
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Oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors, are commonly used by patients with osteoarthritis (OA). However, a new analysis reveals that long-term use of these drugs is not recommended, and the "advantage of oral NSAIDs over placebo for short term pain relief is small and probably clinically insignificant."

The study pooled data from 23 trials involving NSAID use in a total of 10,845 patients with knee OA.

Source: BMJ Online First - November 23, 2004.
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