Aspirin May Stave Off Breast Cancer

As big pharma looks deep into the proteomics of cancer, a pain remedy that is derived from willow bark and was identified in 1829 as salicin appears to have a remarkable power to prevent a recurrence of the
disease. The Boston Globe reports that researchers at Harvard teaching hospitals found that women who took aspirin after completing breast cancer treatment were half as likely to die from the disease as women who did not regularly use aspirin. The researchers looked at comprehensive health surveys
that registered nurses completed every two years, a form of research, the Globe reports,
that can yield important hints about what works and what doesn’t in
medicine but can’t provide absolute answers. The study also suggested other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil and Motrin may reduce breast cancer recurrence. The Globe reports that there was no evidence that acetaminophen – commonly sold as Tylenol – reduced breast cancer mortality.

Read more in the Boston Globe.