Aspirin & breast cancer.

A new study suggests that aspirin may lower the risk of breast cancer.

Only one out of five women with breast cancer--versus one out of four without the disease--reported having taken aspirin at least once a week for six months or more. That translates into a 20 percent lower risk for the aspirin takers. Women who took aspirin at least seven times a week had a 30 percent lower risk. (The researchers didn't ask how much aspirin the women took each time.)

Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) had a weaker impact on risk, but the study had few ibuprofen takers. However, a study last fall found a 20 percent lower risk of breast cancer among women who took ibuprofen at least twice a week for five to nine years, and a 50 percent lower risk in those who took it for ten years. It also found a 20 percent lower risk in women who took 100 mg or more of aspirin at least twice a week for five to ten years. Regular use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) or low-dose aspirin (less than 100 mg) had no impact on breast cancer risk.

What to do: Talk to your doctor about whether to take aspirin or ibuprofen regularly. Both drugs can cause gastrointestinal bleeding and peptic ulcer disease.

J. Amer. Med. Assoc. 291: 2433, 2488, 2004 and Cancer Research 63: 6096, 2003.