Reducing The Effects of Breast Cancer with Aspirin

Latest Research involving 4,000 women which are diagnosed with breast cancer showed that aspirin consumption is proven to increase patient survival and reduce recurrence.

“About 50 percent of women with breast cancer who take aspirin, less likely to die than those not taking them,” said lead researcher Dr. Michelle Holmes, who is also professor of epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and School of Public Health, Boston, United States, such as reported by HealthDay. This research is published online on February 16 and in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In general, bright Holmes, for women who consumed more aspirin a week will have a higher life expectancy. This is done by comparing the aspirin users and who do not. For instance recovering patients who take aspirin for 6-7 days a week, they will have a 64 percent reduction in risk of death.

Meanwhile, those who took aspirin for 2-5 days a week, with a variety of different reasons-even would have reduced the risk of death up to 71 percent. However, the most important is the data 50 percent of the overall risk reduction. This study did not include the dose taken, but the only time in a week usage.

The use of aspirin in the same way also able to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. “Very surprising, this is a strong effect of aspirin,” said Holmes. Although she admitted this was only the study by way of observation, not a definitive determination of cause and effect.

How aspirin can reduce the recurrence, Holmes did not know exactly. However, recent research is consistent with several previous studies. “We appreciate only too well that cancer is a disease of inflammation and aspirin is anti-inflammatory drugs,” she said. The researchers speculate, aspirin may decrease the hormone estrogen in the blood or prevent the spread of early cancer.

For this study, Holmes and colleagues evaluated the use of aspirin among women at least one year after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The woman, diagnosed with stage 1, 2, or 3 breast cancer between 1976 and 2002. All of these women are participants Nurses Health Study.

During the research process, until the death of a woman in June 2006, 341 women died of breast cancer and 400 people because of recurrence or other metastatic disease. However, Holmes asserted aspirin will never be the recommended drugs for treatment of cancer.

Aspirin also causes negative side effects in some aspects. “It (the consumption of aspirin) can cause GI tract bleeding in patients,” he said. At present it is necessary further studies about the results of this research. But, he added, when a woman with breast cancer and aspirin for other reasons (such as bone pain or pain), she will feel comfortable when she knew could prevent breast cancer does not become worse.

“This is the largest study of aspirin use and a special breast cancer recurrence and patient survival,” said Eric Jacobs, Director of Pharmacoepidemiology in the American Cancer Society. Previous research has produced a more extensive findings and not specific.

“The results of this study interesting, there are some important warning,” said Jacobs. As well as Holmes said, he noted that these findings do not prove cause and effect. “As this study the researchers noted, do not talk about because aspirin during chemotherapy may be inspired by the success of cancer patients who continue to survive. Do not get your hopes too high against the use of aspirin, “said Jacobs.

Both Holmes and Jacobs agree that it is too early to tell breast cancer patients who survived because taking aspirin, with the goal of reducing breast cancer recurrence or avoid death. According to them, patients must communicate with the doctor more about what is best for their treatment process.

Breast cancer is the most common known women. Every year more than 250,000 new cases diagnosed in Europe and more than 175,000 in the United States. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2000 estimated 1.2 million women diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 700,000 of them died.

The cause of breast cancer itself until now unknown, but there are some risk factors that cause a woman to be more likely to develop breast cancer, including age above 60 years old, had suffered from breast cancer, family history, genetic and hormonal factors, menarche (first time menstruation) before the age of 12 years, menopause after age 55 years, first pregnancy after age 30 years or had never been pregnant, use birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy, postmenopausal obesity and alcohol.

Fish Oil Benefits for Breast Cancer Nutrition

Breast cancer is said to be one of the biggest killers of women around the world today. Statistics from the University of Maryland Medical Center explain that every year in the United States, about 185,000 women are diagnosed with some form of breast cancer. Along with these statistics, about 40,000 women die per year because of breast cancer related complications.  In 99% of all cases of breast cancer, women are involved. Only a few men are diagnosed with this condition.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer, and what are the possible causes of the disease? Doctors often recommend their patients to performs routine breast self examinations (BSE) to be able to detect lumps or other abnormalities in their breasts. If a woman detects a change in the shape and firmness in her breast, or if there are skin problems in the breast area, she should see a doctor right away. Some of the causes of breast cancer are genetic, while some sources explain that hormonal levels in the body can cause the growth of the tumor. Sometimes, exposure to carcinogenic substances may be the cause. In other instances, women who have breast implants develop a form of breast cancer.

Currently, the treatments for breast cancer include chemotherapy with radiation therapy. There are several drugs that have been tested and recommended for chemotherapeutic use, and it has been observed that the administration of regular radiation sessions allow chemotherapy drugs to work better against breast cancer tumors. In some cases of breast cancer, a mastectomy or surgical removal of one or two breasts may be needed.

What is the nutrition for breast cancer that should be followed? Sources from the University of Maryland Medical Center suggest that antioxidant-rich foods should be added to the diet. These foods include blueberries, cherries, squash, and tomatoes, among many others. Vegetables like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage should be eaten more often. It is best to avoid foods with trans-fat, preservatives, and foods that contain substances that can cause allergies. For protein sources, it is best to avoid red meats, and opt for leaner protein sources including tofu, soy, and some types of fish like tuna, herring, salmon, and others.

Nutrition for breast cancer also involves supplementing the diet with B vitamins, calcium, vitamin C, pro-biotics, and others. Omega-3 fatty acids are also highly recommended, and these forms of fatty acids are found in many types of nuts as well as fish. The fish types that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids are herring, salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, and sardines. It is advised that at the least, 2 fish serving per week should be consumed.

As mentioned in a 2003 paper Indoor and Built Environment, DHA and EPA have already proven effective against tumor growth, and when added to the diet, makes a patient more receptive to the benefits of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This is the reason why fish oils are becoming popular supplements as nutrition for breast cancer. Fish oil supplements come from the above mentioned species of fishFree Articles, and are rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as docosahexenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentenoic acid (EPA).

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