Feb. 17, 2010

Breast cancer patients who take aspirin regularly may be able t cut
their risk of dying by 50 percent, according to a study by Harvard
Medical School, which was published Tuesday in the Journal of Clinical
Oncology.

The survey from 1976 to 2006 of more than 4,000 registered nurses
showed that women who took aspirin regularly (two to five days a week)
cut their risk of having the cancer spread by 60 percent and reduced
their risk of dying from breast cancer by 71 percent.

Most of the women were taking the aspirin to reduce their risk of
stroke or cardiac problems.

Researchers theorize that aspirin may help control cancer by fighting
inflammation. Breast cancers produce more inflammatory chemicals than
normal breast cells. Lab tests show that aspirin keeps breast tumor
cells from growing and invading other tissue.

A study in August also found that aspirin offered a potential benefit
against colon cancer.

Researchers warn however that more study is needed and they caution
that aspirin therapy can thin blood, a problem for those undergoing
chemotherapy or other cancer treatments and can cause gastric
bleeding, even in otherwise healthy women.