Aspirin Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Aspirin, including details on acetylsalicylic acid, baby aspirin, side effects, overdose, allergy.

Association of regular aspirin use and breast cancer risk.

Swede H, Mirand AL, Menezes RJ, Moysich KB

Department of Epidemiology, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA. helen.swede@po.state.ct.us

Of the limited number of epidemiological investigations on aspirin (and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and breast cancer, the majority observe a protective role, yet only a few report dose-response effects for frequency or duration of use. We studied aspirin use among 1,478 breast cancer patients diagnosed from 1982 to 1998, and 3,383 cancer-free hospital controls at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. Compared to never use,both regular (> or =1 tablet per week for > or =1 year) and occasional use were inversely associated with breast cancer (adjusted OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.64-0.97; adjusted OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.67-0.96, respectively). Among regular users, an inverse trend was found for number of tablets consumed per week (1, 2-6, or > or =7) with corresponding ORs of 0.95, 0.80, and 0.74 (P(trend) = 0.01). Daily use spanning 10 or more years was associated with a more pronounced reduction in risk (P(trend) = 0.005). Our findings corroborate the growing body of observational evidence that regular aspirin use may be associated with reduced risk of breast cancer.

Published 2 May 2005 in Oncology, 68(1): 40-7.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Aspirin Research Today. All Rights Reserved.