Opposing effects of aspirin and acetaminophen use on risk of adult acute leukemia

Weiss, Joli R.; Baker, Julie A.; Baer, Maria R.; Menezes, Ravi J.; Nowell, Susan; Moysich, Kirsten B.

doi:10.1016/j.leukres.2005.06.023

« Previous Next »Leukemia Research
Volume 30, Issue 2 , Pages 164-169, February 2006

Opposing effects of aspirin and acetaminophen use on risk of adult acute leukemia

Joli R. Weiss
- Department of Epidemiology, A-316 Carlton House, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
Julie A. Baker
- Department of Epidemiology, A-316 Carlton House, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
Maria R. Baer
- Department of Medicine, Leukemia Section, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
Ravi J. Menezes
- Department of Epidemiology, A-316 Carlton House, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
Susan Nowell
- Department of Epidemiology, A-316 Carlton House, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
Kirsten B. Moysich
- Department of Epidemiology, A-316 Carlton House, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 716 845 8004; fax: +1 716 845 1126.

Received 10 May 2005; received in revised form 29 June 2005; accepted 30 June 2005. published online 07 March 2011.

Abstract

Regular use of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been hypothesized to be associated with reduced risk of hematologic cancer, although previous results have been inconsistent. The current study investigated the effects of aspirin or acetaminophen use on adult acute leukemia risk among 169 individuals with leukemia and 676 age and sex matched hospital controls with non-neoplastic conditions who completed a comprehensive epidemiologic questionnaire. Results indicate that regular aspirin use may be associated with a modest decrease in leukemia risk [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 0.84; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.59–1.21]. In contrast, ever using acetaminophen was associated with elevated leukemia risk (aOR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.03–2.26). Results did not differ between men and women. Other studies have demonstrated that acetaminophen is associated with transient decreases in DNA repair, and lymphocytes may be particularly susceptible to DNA damage, suggesting a mechanism for the elevated acute leukemia risk observed among acetaminophen users.

Keywords: Acetaminophen, Acute leukemia, Acute lymphocytic leukemia, Acute myeloid leukemia, Analgesics, Aspirin