(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Advil and Aspirin work wonders for a headache or
sore back, but now researchers believe Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs),
like Advil and Aspirin, may also help reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Coastal Health
Research Institute and the University of Santiago de Compostela analyzed data
from 38 studies that enrolled more than 2.7 million women to get a comprehensive
look at NSAIDs and their role in reducing the risk of breast cancer. This study,
the largest of its kind to date, found women who regularly use NSAIDs are
associated with a 12 percent relative risk reduction in breast cancer compared
to women who do not use NSAIDs.
“The results are encouraging and may help us better understand the importance of
the role of inflammation in the pathology of the disease,” Dr. Mahyar Etminan,
assistant professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia, was
quoted as saying.
In a separate analysis, Aspirin showed a 13 percent relative risk reduction in
breast cancer and Advil showed a 21 percent relative risk reduction.
SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2008