Long-term aspirin use may cut cancer risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Long-term daily use of adult-strength aspirin may modestly reduce the risk of certain cancers, including colorectal, prostate and breast cancer, new research suggests.
Recent findings from the Women's Health Study suggested that the long-term use of low-dose aspirin does not markedly affect cancer risk. However, it was unclear if the regular use of higher doses has a beneficial effect.
As reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Eric J. Jacobs, from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues, assessed the anti-cancer benefits of adult-strength aspirin (at least 325 milligrams per day) by analyzing data from more than 145,000 subjects enrolled in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort.
During a 10-year follow-up period, 10,931 men and 7196 women were diagnosed with cancer, the report indicates. Daily aspirin use for 5 years or longer lowered the risk of cancer by 16 percent in men and by 14 percent in women.
The long-term use of adult-strength aspirin significantly reduced the risk of colorectal and prostate cancer by 32 percent and 19 percent, respectively. Aspirin use was also associated with a 17-percent reduction in the risk of female breast cancer, but the reduction was not statistically significant.
In a related editorial, Dr. Maria Elena Martinez and Dr. E. Robert Greenberg, from the Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson, comment: "It will be important to verify whether the findings from this study, and especially those for breast and prostate cancer incidence, represent a real benefit" or are due to detection biases or other factors that influenced the cancer incidence in this population.
SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, April 18, 2007
What breastcancer.org says about this article…
Long-term aspirin use may cut cancer risk
Called "the wonder drug" by some people, aspirin is used to treat pain, inflammation, and fever. In addition, a number of research studies suggest that aspirin has other benefits. For many adults, taking aspirin every day can safely lower the risk of a heart attack or a stroke. Some research also has shown that taking aspirin every day might lower the risk of cancer, including breast cancer.
The study reviewed here followed more than 145,000 people for 5 years or longer. The results suggest that aspirin may truly lower the risk of certain cancers. The researchers concluded that taking adult-strength aspirin every day can lower the risk of colon and prostate cancer. Breast cancer risk was reduced by 17%, but the evidence wasn't strong enough to conclude that aspirin can lower breast cancer risk.
There are several important things to keep in mind about this study:
- The aspirin dose was adult-strength, which means 325 milligrams or more. People who take daily aspirin for its cardiovascular benefits usually take a lower dose, about 81 milligrams per day. A low dose of aspirin did not lower the risk of cancer in this study.
- The researchers didn't feel that they could make a firm conclusion about aspirin lowering breast cancer risk. The risk reduction benefits suggested by this study need to be confirmed by other large studies.
- Taking aspirin, especially adult-strength aspirin, every day has some risks, including bleeding, bruising, intestinal irritation, and allergic reactions.
Until more is known, don't take any dose of aspirin every day without talking to your doctor. For more information on steps you can take to lower your risk for breast cancer, visit the breastcancer.org Lower Your Risk Section.
