Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, especially aspirin, are linked to lower risk and better survival of hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE

The roles of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the occurrence and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain controversial. This analysis aimed to summarize the relationships between NSAIDs and HCC development.

METHODS

Studies published prior to October 1, 2017, in the PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched and analyzed.

RESULTS

Eleven studies were included in this analysis. A meta-analysis of five studies revealed that aspirin use could significantly decrease the risk of HCC occurrence (hazards ratio [HR] = 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.45-0.91, = 0.014). No significant difference was found for the use of NSAIDs (six studies) and non-aspirin NSAIDs (three studies) in HCC occurrence (HR = 0.74, 95%CI = 0.53-1.02, = 0.064 and HR = 0.98, 95%CI = 0.87-1.12, = 0.81, respectively). However, subgroup analysis of cohort studies demonstrated that NSAIDs significantly decreased the risk of HCC occurrence (HR = 0.58, 95%CI = 0.43-0.78, < 0.001). HCC patients who received NSAIDs achieved better disease-free survival and overall survival compared with the non-NSAID users (HR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.74-0.84, <0.001 and HR = 0.60, 95%CI = 0.50-0.72, <0.001, respectively). Additionally, a meta-analysis of two studies showed that aspirin treatment in HCC patients could significantly decrease the 2-year and 4-year mortalities (rate ratio [RR] = 0.50, 95%CI = 0.36-0.69, < 0.001 and RR = 0.67, 95%CI = 0.45-0.998, = 0.049, respectively). A meta-analysis of two studies showed that aspirin use was not associated with a higher risk of bleeding in HCC patients (HR = 0.71, 95%CI = 0.41-1.23, = 0.223).

CONCLUSION

The use of NSAIDs, especially aspirin, is linked to a lower risk of HCC development and better survival in HCC populations. High-quality, well-designed trials should be conducted to reevaluate the relationships between NSAIDs and HCC.