The lowly aspirin is really quite a medicinal workhorse. It relieves head- and body aches, reduces fever, quells the pain of arthritis, helps to prevent recurrent heart attacks, and it may even offer some protection against colorectal cancer. Researchers have now identified it as a means of minimizing the risk of developing estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, which makes up about 75% of all cases of the disease.

Gretchen Gierach and her team of researchers at the National Cancer Institute followed 127,000 women for seven years and found that those taking a daily dose of aspirin reduced their risk of developing estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer by about 16%.

The study participants ranged in age from 51 to 72 and were located throughout the United States. All study participants were found to have no sign of cancer at the outset of the study. Of the 127,000 women, about 18% of them used aspirin on a daily basis. Of the entire group, 4,500 developed breast cancer during the course of the study.

Aspirin intake did not affect estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer and taking aspirin less frequently than daily also did not affect the development of cancer of either type.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a study in 2004 submitted by researchers from Columbia University which pointed to a slightly reduced risk for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer in women who used aspirin regularly. Gierach says her findings are consistent with the Columbia study.

Caution is advised when taking aspirin on a regular basis as it can cause stomach ulcers and bleeding in some people. Gierach suggests discussing a daily aspirin regimen with a physician before beginning treatment.

The Gierach study is published in the open-access journal, Breast Cancer Research, at BioMed Central.