PSA or Prostate Specific Antigen is a marker for prostate enlargement and cancer. When levels increase significantly from year to year, it sends a red flag to the doctor that there may be problems with the prostate.
Common medications may interfere with this signal, however. Drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen are commonly used pain relievers. A group of urologists conducted biopsies in approximately 1,200 men and compared PSA levels. Aspirin takers had lower levels of PSA on their tests even though their prostates were of similar size.
The concern is that the anti-inflammatory drugs may lower PSA levels without affecting the underlying disease process. That could make it more difficult to detect prostate cancer.
[Journal of Urology, May 2009]
http://www.jurology.com/article/S0022-5347(09)00053-6/abstract
