Daily Consumption of Aspirin Reduces Risks of Ovarian Cancer

Women who take aspirin on a daily basis may reduce their risk of ovarian cancer by 20 percent, a recent study finds.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) claim that approximately 22,240 new cases of ovarian cancer were diagnosed in the United States last year, and more than 14,000 women will die from the disease this year. They have found that risk of cancer and other types of diseases are oftentimes increased if a person suffers from chronic or persistent inflammation. They analyzed data from 12 large studies that were a part of the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium.

Britton Trabert, of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute and his colleagues assessed data from 7,776 women with ovarian cancer and 11,843 women without the disease, who participated in previous studies conducted. Among the participants, 18 percent used aspirin on a daily basis, 24 percent used non-aspirin NSAIDs and 16 percent used acetaminophen. They found that the use of aspirin could prevent ovarian cancer but suggest that individuals continue to follow the guidance of their doctor with regard to its use. They claim that for some people, daily aspirin use can result in severe side effects. Some may suffer from bleeding in the stomach, inflammation and hemorrhagic stroke.

Trabert, who is also the co-author of the study said: "Our study suggests that aspirin regimens, proven to protect against heart attack, may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer as well. However intriguing our results are, they should not influence current clinical practice. Additional studies are needed to explore the delicate balance of risk-benefit for this potential chemopreventive agent, as well as studies to identify the mechanism by which aspirin may reduce ovarian cancer risk." The results of their study were published in the journal of the National Cancer Institute.