News: A new role for aspirin/ibuprofen in breast Ca?

Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin and ibuprofen, may reduce a woman's risk for breast cancer, according to the results of a recent meta-analysis.

Researchers included a total of 38 studies (16 case–control, 18 cohort, three case–control nested in well-defined cohorts, and one clinical trial) performed in five countries, involving both COX-2–selective and –nonselective inhibitors.

Use of any NSAID was associated with about a 12% reduction in breast cancer risk (random effects pooled RR=0.88; 95% CI, 0.84–0.93). Aspirin or ibuprofen was associated with similar risk reductions (RR=0.87; 95% CI, 0.82–0.92; and RR=0.79; 95% CI, 0.64–0.97, respectively). In general, associations were stronger in case–control than in cohort studies, but the researchers noted that this may be due to recall bias.