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Can You Prevent Breast Cancer with Aspirin?

Can women do anything to prevent breast cancer? Premenopausal women should ask their doctors about taking aspirin on a regular basis.

A number of studies have shown that people who take aspirin on a regular basis are less likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers. This is one reader’s response:

Q. I am a participant in the NIEHS Sister Study because my younger sister had bilateral breast cancer in premenopause. I have long intuited that my use of aspirin for hip and knee arthritis has been protective. I am grateful to learn that aspirin may indeed help prevent breast cancer.

Sister Study Finds Aspirin Helps Prevent Breast Cancer:

A. The Sister Study run by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has recruited 50,000 women who have sisters with breast cancer. The goal is to determine which environmental and genetic factors could play a role in breast cancer in this high-risk group.

A report from this study was published in BMC Cancer (online, Dec. 16, 2015). It found that regular aspirin use reduced the risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women. It is heartening to have something women can do to try to prevent breast cancer.

Aspirin Reduces the Chance of Metastasis:

Aspirin not only appears to reduce the risk of developing certain cancers (colorectal, esophageal, stomach and lung), it may also reduce the likelihood that cancer will spread (PLOS ONE, online, April 20, 2016).

Talk with Your Doctor Before Starting Regular Aspirin:

No one should start aspirin without medical supervision, though, as it can cause serious side effects and may interact with other medication. You may find some tips in our Guide to Key Aspirin Information.

5/10/18 redirected to: https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/how-do-you-weigh-the-benefits-and-risks-of-aspirin/

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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