Researchers claim that women with a higher risk of breast cancer can reduce it by taking anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen. About 1 million women are diagnosed with a benign breast disease each year, which increases the risk of cancer. Experts say the research is important, but more needs to be doneStudies conductedto determine whether this risk reduction actually exists.
Women at increased risk of breast cancer can reduce their risk of developing the disease by up to 40 percent by taking ibuprofen or naproxen. That was the message Mayo Clinic researchers delivered at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in Texas. The scientists said these substances can improve a woman's chances of survival after she is diagnosed with a benign breast disease.
“These are pretty amazing results,” said Dr. Jason Cohen, a surgical oncologist and director of a breast center in Los Angeles. Anti-inflammatory drugs can almost halve the risk of breast cancer in a high-risk patient. However, until the data and the actual long-term effects are certain, it is still difficult to say what this really means.
According to the American Cancer Society, benign (non-cancerous) breast diseases are common. Most changes are benign, the group says, and benign conditions are not life-threatening. However, some are associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancer later, and symptoms may be similar.
What the research revealed
Researchers looked at women who had benign breast biopsies in the clinic between 1992 and 2001 and how long they took medication. The researchers also looked at who had breast cancer after the first benign biopsy.
"We found that women who reported using ibuprofen or naproxen had about a 40 percent lower risk of breast cancer, while women who reported using aspirin had no lower risk of breast cancer," said Amy Degnim, an oncologist of breast surgery at the Mayo Clinic, in a press release. “Women who used such drugs more often also had better protection against breast cancer.”
Degnim said research suggests more clinical trials should be conducted. She cautioned that the study was not a clinical trial and not all women should take the medication.
“We don’t know if the recommendation is daily or once a week,” Cohen said. “Once we receive the dose, we need to study the patients’ possible side effects and measure the benefit-risk ratio.”
“It is important to remember that not all cancers behave the same and that even similar cancers can act differently in different people and in different settings,” he said. “Long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has a clear disadvantage. Risks include bleeding, ulcers and possibly even kidney failure. “
Asked whether the benefits would outweigh the risks, Cohen said: "The risks really depend on the length of time and the size of taking a dose."
