Low-dose aspirin does not reduce breast cancer risk
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GENEVA — Women who used low-dose aspirin did not exhibit reduced risk for breast cancer, according to study results presented at World Cancer Congress.
The results aligned with the hypothesis of investigators, who observed a similar finding in a prior study, Manon Cairat, PhD, researcher at Gustave Roussy in France, told Healio.
“Low-dose aspirin and other antiplatelet drugs do not appear to be suitable pharmacological candidates for breast cancer prevention,” Cairat said.
It has been suggested that low-dose aspirin may prevent cancer by inhibiting platelet aggregation. However, the agent’s anticancer effect recently has been questioned, and the effect it has on breast cancer development has not been clearly established, according to study background.
Cairat and colleagues conducted a nationwide case-control study in Denmark to evaluate the association between antiplatelet drugs and breast cancer risk.
They used six Danish health care registries to identify all women (n = 68,816) diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2001 and 2018. They matched each case with 10 controls based on age and calendar time. Median age of the study population was 62 years.
Investigators used a prescription registry — with records back to 1995 — to identify exposure to low-dose aspirin, clopidogrel or dipyridamole, defining those who filled at least two prescriptions as antiplatelet drug ever-users.
Cairat and colleagues performed conditional logistic regression to assess associations between antiplatelet drugs and breast cancer — both overall and by subtype. They also examined the impact of cumulative defined daily doses of antiplatelet drugs.
Researchers adjusted models for educational level, hormone replacement therapy, use of oral contraceptives, use of other medications (eg, statins or antidiabetic agents), and other health conditions or comorbidities.
Results showed 12% of women had been exposed to low-dose aspirin, 2% had been exposed to clopidogrel and 2% had been exposed to dipyridamole.
Multivariable analysis showed no association between ever-use of low-dose aspirin (OR = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.96-1.02), clopidogrel (OR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87-1) or dipyridamole (OR = 1; 95% CI, 0.93-1.08) compared with never use. These results persisted regardless of dose.
The findings did not differ by histologic type, ER status or clinical stage at diagnosis.
Researchers observed an inverse association between breast cancer risk and dipyridamole use among women aged younger than 55 years, and the findings suggested a dose-response relationship among this group (OR per 1,000 defined daily doses = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.55-0.97). These results may warrant additional study, Cairat said.
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Cairat M, et al. Abstract 1840. Presented at: World Cancer Congress; Oct. 18-20, 2022; Geneva.
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