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Can Aspirin Help You Survive Breast Cancer?

A recent study of 4,164 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study (which followed 238,000 nurses in the US for three decades) revealed some interesting observations about aspirin use in women with breast cancer. These women had been diagnosed with stage 1, 2 or 3 breast cancer between 1976 and 2002 and were followed until June 2006, or until they died. Many of the women were taking aspirin for other conditions or to minimize the risk of heart attack or stroke. The study concluded that aspirin use was associatedwith a significantly decreased risk of breast cancer death (approximately 50 percent overall).

Does this mean that all breast cancer patients should immediately be put on an aspirin regimen? Not necessarily. We asked our Medical Advisory Board what they thought of this news, and here are some representative responses. As always, our doctors' comments are not meant as specific medical advice for any one person. Women should discuss with their own doctors whether an aspirin regimen makes sense in their particular cases. [read more]

Breast Cancer Alliance Awards $1.4 Million in 2010 Grants
The Breast Cancer Alliance voted to award $1.4 million in grants for 2010. The grants will fund innovative research projects at leading cancer research institutions in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. They will also fund education initiatives, community outreach programs and free screening mammography programs that reach underserved and uninsured women in Fairfield, New Haven and Westchester Counties. “We are grateful that we can continue to fund critical research and outreach programs, especially during this time of cutbacks in so many areas of medicine and medical services. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we can provide hope and help to people affected by breast cancer,” said Margaret Sinclair, President of the Breast Cancer Alliance. [read more]

Introducing Rosie
Meet "Rosie," the brand new Stamford Hospital Foundation Mobile Mammography Van. The van provides mammography screening, education and outreach services, partly funded by the Breast Cancer Alliance, to women around Connecticut.

Breast Cancer in the News: Is Breast Cancer Screening Worthwhile?
The US Preventive Services Task Force has recently recommended biennial screening mammography only for women between the ages of 50 and 74 years and recommended against routine screening mammography in women aged 40-49 years. Many medical societies, including the American Cancer Society, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Radiologists, the American Society of Breast Disease, and the American Society of Breast Surgeons have disagreed with this recommendation. The Breast Cancer Alliance recommends that all women undergo annual mammogram screening beginning at the age of 40 and continue the practice of self breast examination. [read more]

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