Don't Judge a Fever by Its Response to Naproxen

Results from several studies have suggested that the antipyretic effect of naproxen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is specific to tumor-related fevers. Although some researchers have advocated using such drugs to distinguish neoplasm-related fevers from those caused by infections, this concept has not been formally validated.

In an uncontrolled, retrospective study of patients admitted to 1 hospital in Belgium from 1990 to 1999, researchers identified 77 patients who had been febrile (body temperature >38.3°C) on several occasions over ≥2 weeks and had received naproxen or another NSAID for ≥2 consecutive days for diagnostic purposes ("naproxen test"). A complete response was defined as a persistent drop in body temp…