Common Painkillers Tied to Lower Skin Cancer Risk

In a new study from Denmark, people who had taken aspirin, ibuprofen and related painkillers -- especially at high doses and for years at a time -- were less likely to get skin cancer, compared to those who rarely used those medications.

The findings add to growing evidence that long-term use of the medications, known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, may help protect people against skin cancers, including melanoma, the deadliest type.

Still, research has not been unanimous in that finding: one large 2008 report found no link between NSAIDs and melanoma.

The drugs have also been linked to an increased risk of kidney cancer and come with known bleeding risks -- so more research is needed to weigh the possible harms and benefits of the drugs outside of pain relief, researchers said.

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