Long-Term Use of Acetaminophen, Aspirin, and Other Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Risk of Hematologic Malignancies: Results From the Prospective Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) Study

Abstract

Purpose Among previous studies examining the associations of over-the-counter analgesics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and incident hematologic malignancies, results were inconsistent for NSAIDs but suggested an increased risk with acetaminophen (paracetamol). Herein, we used a large prospective cohort study to examine these associations. Patients and Methods In total, 64,839 men and women age 50 to 76 years were recruited from 2000 to 2002 to the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) study. Incident hematologic malignancies (n = 577) were identified through December 2008 by linkage to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results cancer registry. Hazard ratios (HRs) associated with use of analgesics for total incident hematologic malignancies and cancer subcategories were estimated by Cox proportional hazards models. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, smoking, self-rated health, arthritis, chronic musculoskeletal pain, migraines, headaches, fatigue, and family history of leukemia/lymphoma. Results After adjustment, there was an increased risk of incident hematologic malignancies associated with high use (≥ 4 days/week for ≥ 4 years) of acetaminophen (HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.35 to 2.50 for high use; P trend = .004). This association was seen for myeloid neoplasms (HR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.24 to 4.12), non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.12 to 2.93), and plasma cell disorders (HR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.08 to 5.41), but not chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL; HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.31 to 2.28). By comparison, there was no association with risk of incident hematologic malignancies for increasing use of aspirin, nonaspirin NSAIDs, or ibuprofen. Conclusion High use of acetaminophen was associated with an almost two-fold increased risk of incident hematologic malignancies other than CLL/SLL. Neither aspirin nor nonaspirin NSAIDs are likely useful for prevention of hematologic malignancies.