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.
 

"Observational studies such as this are very important in generating hypotheses, but cannot be interpreted as conclusive. I am sure that a randomized study comparing aspirin with placebo will be forthcoming. In the meantime, I don't think we are in a position to make any strong recommendations. It is important to note that many observation studies such as those involving HRT, antioxidants, Vitamin E, and Betacarotenes were later shown by randomized studies to be wrong. Because the side effects of aspirin are low, it is certainly very tempting to advise patients, especially those with more advanced disease, to consider taking aspirin two to five days per week but the study did not examine the optimal dosage per day."

 

"This is not 'new' news as other studies have shown evidence that aspirin and NSAIDs (non-steroidal inflammatory drugs, e.g., ibuprofen), also lower the risk of cancer recurrence. Overall it seems reasonable to take a baby aspirin daily, skipping one to two days a week, but to withhold it for at least a week for even minor surgical procedures."

 

"This is in no way definitive for reasons that populations taking or not taking aspirin were not the same; dose-response relationship was not established; and only a clinical trial can clearly show if this causes a survival benefit. Harmful effects include gastrointestinal bleeding and interactions with other drugs. This is interesting and worthy of follow-up studies, but should not change practice at this time."