The Finnish Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (FinRSPC), the largest component of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), showed a smaller, nonsignificant reduction in prostate cancer-specific mortality by systematic prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening compared with the overall ERSPC results. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce inflammation and also PSA elevations due to intraprostatic inflammation.
To explore whether NSAID usage modifies the effects of PSA-based screening on prostate cancer incidence and mortality.
A cohort of 78 165 men from the FinRSPC were linked to a comprehensive national prescription database to obtain information on NSAID reimbursements prior to screening.
Prostate cancer risk and mortality were compared between the FinRSPC screening arm and the control arm among NSAID users and nonusers using an age-adjusted Cox regression model.
Screening increased the detection of Gleason 6 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.47-1.72 and HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.26-1.54) and localized prostate tumors (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.18-1.32 and HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03-1.20) more among baseline NSAID nonusers than among users, respectively (p for interaction