Low-Dose Aspirin May Lower Risk of Ovarian Cancer

1. Low-Dose Aspirin May Lower Risk of Ovarian Cancer New Research Suggests- Women who regularly take a low-dose Aspirin may lower their risk of developing ovarian cancer. This study highlights the two important caveats- Daily use of standard-dose aspirin (325 milligrams) does not reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Heavy use of nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, may increase the risk, suggests the study.   Another potential limitation- This result was found only in women who had been using low- dose aspirin for less than a year, not for long time to take aspirin. Aspirin is believed to lower the risk of ovarian cancer — According to the authors, the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death among American women — by reducing inflammation. The new analysis included data on 205,498 women who were part of the Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II, two long-term studies that use questionnaires to track disease and health behavior in women. Of those women, 1,054 developed ovarian cancer. The research team examined how these women used aspirin, non-aspirin NSAIDs and acetaminophen and compared their behavior with that of other participants.

2. Analysis showed that women who had been using low-dose aspirin for less than a year had a 23 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer than women who did not use aspirin at all. However, women who used low-dose aspirin for five years or longer and those who used standard- dose aspirin (325 milligrams) did not show improved odds against developing ovarian cancer, the study indicated. By contrast, use of non-aspirin NSAIDs for less than a year was associated with a 19 percent increased the risk of ovarian cancer, the researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found. NSAIDs taken in quantities of at least 10 tablets per week for multiple years increased the risk of ovarian cancer by 34 percent. However, when NSAIDs were used less than two days a week for five years or longer, they were not linked to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Older women who take low-dose aspirin to reduce their risk of heart disease are not likely to increase their risk of ovarian cancer, the researchers concluded. Other scientists believe further research is needed to verify the results. The study authors also said that more research is needed to understand how “heavy use of aspirin, nonaspirin NSAIDs, and acetaminophen may contribute to the development of ovarian cancer.” Aspirin medicine is a type of Blood-pressure/heart medicine which can control the risk of heart disease symptoms.