Up until now the only reason for taking over-the-counter pain killers such as ibuprofen has been to reduce pain, but now there is another potential bonus from taking the pills. New research has found that anti-inflammatory pain killers may be able to provide some protection against a common form of skin cancer. The study was published Dec. 18 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Nine studies were considered when looking into the link between taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and the type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. Examples of NSAIDs include both aspirin and ibuprofen. What the study results concluded was that people who regularly used NSAIDs to control pain have overall lower rates of developing the squamous cell carcinoma.

The results became even more specific when the researchers compared the results between ibuprofen and aspirin. Taking aspirin did not seem to create any reduction in the skin cancer at all, while taking ibuprofen seemed to create a drop of 15 percent likelihood of developing the skin cancer.

From the research provided so far, it is thought that the NSAIDs might be able to reduce the occurrence of the skin cancer by inhibiting an enzyme that can be released when people are exposed to ultraviolet light or a lot of direct sunlight. It is possible that the NSAID results are more commonly seen when the cancerous growth starts as the flat type of actinic keratosis.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, and in fact makes up about half of all cancers that occur in the United States. The most serious type of skin cancer is melanoma, of which there were 76,000 cases of in 2014.

Squamous cell carcinoma is the more common type of skin cancer that comes from too much sun exposure, and it is the second most common type of skin cancer. Squamous and basal cell cancers start growing in the cells in the outer layers of the skin and tend to grow more slowly than other types of cancers. Squamous cell cancer is very often completely curable, but it still a serious issue and if it is left untreated it can become a deadly issue.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, around 700,000 people are diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma every year. Of those 700,000 diagnosed, around 2 percent end up dying from it. In 2012 that 2 percent equaled out to 8,800 people, which sounds like a lot of unnecessary deaths.

Although the recent findings point to the fact that taking ibuprofen might be able to help bring these numbers down, the research does not necessarily suggest that anyone should start taking ibuprofen just to get the skin cancer prevention benefits. Taking NSAIDs includes its own risks, like stomach issues and kidney damage when taken over the long term. It is also suggested that people who take NSAIDs not mix them with alcohol, which is though to tax the liver or create issues involving stomach bleeding.

For now, the researchers involved in the study suggest the tried and true methods towards preventing skin cancer. “Given that long-term therapy with NSAIDs is not without risk, a safer option for those who wish to reduce their likelihood of skin cancer may be to spend a few minutes a day less outside,” they suggested.