Language: English
The healthcare portal for patients and the general public in Europe
This service contains links to third party websites. EPG Patient Direct is not in a position to verify this information and cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the content contained.
07 Mar 2008
Taking medications like aspirin could help to reduce the risk of breast cancer by around 20 per cent, research suggests.
Some 21 studies involving more than 37,000 women showed that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like aspirin or ibruprofen, could play a significant role in preventing illness.
The research, carried out at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in the UK, found that women taking NSAIDs experienced an overall decreased risk for breast cancer.
Published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, the study also suggested that this type of medication could help to treat women already diagnosed with the disease.
"Having weighed up the findings from over 20 studies, we have concluded that NSAIDs may well offer significant protection against developing breast cancer in the first place and may provide a useful addition to the treatment currently available to women who already have the disease," lead author Ian Fentiman said.
Yet he added that more research was needed in order to weigh up the potential side effects of taking such drugs on a regular basis.
"We are not advocating that women take these non-prescription drugs routinely until the benefits and risks are clearer," Dr Fentiman stressed.
"But our findings clearly indicate that these popular over-the counter drugs could, if used correctly, play an important role in preventing and treating breast cancer," he added.
Click here to learn more about health issues: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Delicious
Reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
