A daily dose of aspirin reduces a woman’s chance of developing a particular type of breast cancer by 16%, according to a study of more than 126,000 women.
The latest research backs up a review of 21 studies which found that anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin reduce breast cancer risk by up to 20%. About 45,000 women a year in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer.
In the new study, Dr Gretchen Gierach and colleagues at the US National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland, studied 126,124 women aged between 51 and 72. When the study started, none of the volunteers had breast cancer. During follow-ups between 1995 and 2003, 4,501 of the women developed breast cancer. The team found that women who took aspirin daily were 16% less likely to develop so-called oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Around three-quarters of breast cancers are oestrogen receptor positive.
Contrary to previous research, the study did not find a reduction in breast cancer risk overall in the group of women who used aspirin regularly, and did not find that other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduced breast cancer risk.
Aspirin is thought to influence cancers by blocking the action of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase. This in turn lowers the amount of oestrogen in the body. The results are reported in the journal Breast Cancer Research.
Liz Baker, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said anyone considering taking aspirin regularly should consult their doctor first. “Weighing up the risks and benefits, it’s too soon to recommend aspirin as a way of reducing the risk of cancer.”
In a separate study, researchers have found that having a child appears to give mothers some protection against breast cancer.
Dr VK Gadi, at the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues found that stem cells left behind in the mother by the foetus appear to make her less likely to develop breast cancer.
The study is reported in New Scientist magazine.
Report predicts that 10 million baby boomers could develop Alzheimer’s in their lifetime
The Alzheimer’s Association released a report yesterday with some frightening estimates regarding the future of the brain-wasting disease. One out of every eight baby boomers are likely to develop Alzheimer’s at some point, and the disease is now the seventh deadliest in the country.
By 2010, there will be 500,000 new cases each year. By 2050, that number will jump to a million. This means the costs of caring for these patients are, naturally, going to jump dramatically.
The report suggests that the Medicare burden will jump from $91 billion spent on Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia in 2005 to $189 billion by 2015. Which makes you think that the government is hustling to support researchers in search of a cure, or effective treatment, right? Not exactly. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the government has cut spending on the research. At the same time, other experts suggest that the Association’s numbers might be too aggressive.
Via Live Science
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- Tags: Alzheimer's, Brain, Brain Scans, Health
