Three new studies published March 21, 2012 in the Lancet, add more evidence that long term daily low-dose aspirin (81mg) leads to significant cancer risk reduction, metastatic disease from those cancers and death from cancer http://www.thelancet.com/.
We are interested in breast cancer, although the greatest benefit was for prevention of colorectal cancer. Daily low-dose aspirin for at least 3 years decreased the risk of all cancers, including breast cancer, by 25%.
The trials were designed to find out what effect daily aspirin had on cardiovascular events, but collected cancer data also. Early on the risk of heart disease was lowered, and the risk of internal bleeding was increased, but by 3 years and onward statistically significant reductions in both bleeding and cancer were seen.
For many individuals the risk benefit ratio will be in favor of cancer risk reduction, particularly in long term use. The risk of bleeding was actually less in long term users--after 3 years of use; which is when cancer reduction begins to show up in the studies.
In the expert comment section, it was noted that two trials have not shown cancer reduction from aspirin, but in each of these, aspirin use was every other day. These two trials were not included because of likely biological differences in daily versus alternate day use.
The content is information and not personal medical advice. You and your doctor must discuss the issue and make the decision for you, since your situation is unique.
Together we can prevent 75,000 breast cancer cases each year!
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