Address of Corresponding Author

Oncology 2005;68:40-47 (DOI: 10.1159/000084818)

  Key Words

• Aspirin
• NSAIDs
• Breast carcinogenesis
• Chemoprevention

  Abstract

Of the limited number of epidemiological investigations on aspirin (and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and breast cancer, the majority observe a protective role, yet only a few report dose-response effects for frequency or duration of use. We studied aspirin use among 1,478 breast cancer patients diagnosed from 1982 to 1998, and 3,383 cancer-free hospital controls at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. Compared to never use,both regular (1 tablet per week for 1 year) and occasional use were inversely associated with breast cancer (adjusted OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.64-0.97; adjusted OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.67-0.96, respectively). Among regular users, an inverse trend was found for number of tablets consumed per week (1, 2-6, or 7) with corresponding ORs of 0.95, 0.80, and 0.74 (P_trend = 0.01). Daily use spanning 10 or more years was associated with a more pronounced reduction in risk (P_trend = 0.005). Our findings corroborate the growing body of observational evidence that regular aspirin use may be associated with reduced risk of breast cancer.

Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Helen Swede, PhD
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health
Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8034 (USA)
Tel. +1 860 509 7151, Fax +1 860 509 7161
E-Mail helen.swede@po.state.ct.us

  Article Information

Received: February 4, 2004
Accepted after revision: June 24, 2004
Published online: March 31, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 8
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 3, Number of References : 43