Healthcare News

Aspirin a day could reduce risk of a common breast cancer for elderly
02/05/2008
Risk of developing a common type of breast cancer may be lowered by a daily dose of aspirin, a study has revealed.

Risk of developing a common type of breast cancer may be lowered by a daily dose of aspirin.

This was the conclusion of research published in the latest issue of Breast Cancer Research, which noted a link between aspirin use and a small reduction in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers.

During the study, some 127,000 women enrolled in the National Institutes of Health - AARP Diet and Health Study aged between 51 and 72-years-old were tested.

It was found that taking aspirin, which is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), daily led to a 16 per cent reduction in the form of breast cancer.

The team claim that the medication works by blocking an enzyme called cyclooxygenase, which could disrupt breast cancer development by reducing the amount of estrogen produced in the body.

However, it adds that the results did not support the total risk of breast cancer.

According to Breastcancer.org, some 75 per cent of breast cancers are estrogen-receptor-positive.

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