Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs for Chemoprevention in Patients With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Aims: Published literature shows mixed reports of the benefits of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on reducing colorectal polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). We conducted a systematic review and performed a meta-analysis to assess the impact of NSAIDs on colorectal polyp burden in patients with FAP. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effect of NSAIDs vs placebo on the percent change in polyp number and polyp size in patients with FAP. Mean differences between the 2 study arms were pooled using RevMan. The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for RCTs, and certainty in the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology. Results: The search strategy identified 1021 studies, out of which we included 8 RCTs with a total of 279 patients. Treatment for 6.4 ± 2.2 months with NSAIDs reduced polyp numbers by -17.4% (95% confidence interval -26.41%, -8.29%) (low certainty [I² 89%] due to imprecision and issues with RoB) and polyp size by -15.9% (95% confidence interval -24.98%, -6.73%) (very low certainty (I² 84%) due to imprecision, inconsistency, and issues with RoB). The most common gastrointestinal adverse events reported were stomatitis, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Side effects leading to drug discontinuation were gastroenteritis and drug allergy. Conclusion: Short-term use of NSAIDs reduced polyp number and polyp size but with low to very low certainty of evidence. Further large multicenter studies are needed to further explore NSAIDs as a chemopreventive measure in patients with FAP.