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Using Aspirin & Ibuprofen Can Increase Your Breast Cancer Risk by 50%

Posted By Dr. Mercola | June 16 2005 | 11,346 views

A continued debate over whether or not aspirin, ibuprofen or other related pain relievers influence the risk of breast cancer has just moved closer to one side: According to a study, taking aspirin or ibuprofen may boost a woman's chance of succumbing to breast cancer.

These findings merely stress concerns regarding the potential toxicities from long-term regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Breast Cancer Risks Revealed

Researchers evaluated data on some 114,000 women (ages 22-85) who participated in the California Teachers Study. The women were free of breast cancer when they enrolled in the study a decade ago. (At that time, the women informed researchers how often and how long they had used aspirin and ibuprofen.)

During a follow-up period, some 2,400 of the women were diagnosed with breast cancer of known receptor status. When researchers broke their findings down by pain reliever or type of breast cancer, the results showed:

  • Taking ibuprofen every day for at least five years increased a woman's chance of developing breast cancer by 50 percent, compared to women who did not regularly take the drug.

  • Daily use of aspirin for five years or more caused a woman's risk of ER/PR-negative breast cancer (not sensitive to estrogen or progesterone) to spike by 80 percent, compared to non-regular aspirin users.

Journal of the National Cancer Institute June 1, 2005, Vol. 97, No. 11: 805-812

USA Today June 1, 2005

EurekAlert May 30, 2005

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Even though there are plenty of published studies showing the dangers of over-the-counter medications, many are still unaware of the basic facts.

Medications such as aspirin may still seem harmless to most people, but you are one of the enlightened who knows better, and that they are dangerous and potentially deadly. Aside from increasing your chances of getting breast cancer, taking over-the-counter painkillers for six months or more can double your chances of dying from a stroke or heart attack.

If you have some friends or relatives who you feel may not know this valuable information, then please forward this page to them by using the E-mail to a Friend link on the very top upper right section of this page (right below the search box). You can also include a short note with something specific for them as to why they might want to consider subscribing to the newsletter to improve their health.

How to Treat Your Pain Without Causing More Damage

The best way to avoid drugs and still get relief from your pain is to utilize treatments that address the underlying cause of your symptoms. Obviously, pain can result from a number of different causes, but there are certain steps you can take that end up addressing many of these causes at the same time.

My favorite options for treating the underlying cause of pain are as follows:

  • Start taking a high-quality fish or cod liver oil. Omega-3 fats, which are found in fish or cod liver oil, are precursors to mediators of inflammation called prostaglandins. In fact, that is how Vioxx and other anti-inflammatory painkillers work, they manipulate prostaglandins.

  • Eliminate grains and sugars from your daily diet. Sugar and grain avoidance for most people will lower insulin levels. Elevated insulin levels are one of the most important reasons why inflammatory prostaglandins are produced. That is why stopping sugar and sweets is so important to controlling your pain and other types of chronic illnesses.

  • Optimize your intake of vitamin D by getting daily sun exposure. If sun exposure is hard to come by for one reason or another, cod liver oil is an excellent alternative source of vitamin D you can use in the meantime. It's also extremely important to have your vitamin D levels tested to know where your levels fall before you begin supplementation.

  • Retool your diet based on your body's unique nutritional type. nutritional typing is a tool I have seen work in thousands of patients to reduce their pain.

  • There are also some very effective natural alternatives to anti-inflammatory drugs that can help provide temporary relief for your pain while you are in the process of implementing the above strategies.

  • If you are a woman with monthly pain from menstrual cramps, two excellent herbal alternatives specific to that type of pain are Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus) and Wild Yam (Dioscorea vilosa).

Finally, if you have been taking an aspirin a day for heart disease, there is a safer, healthier and more effective option. It's called CardioEssentials, and it contains a revolutionary powerful enzyme called nattokinase, derived from the food natto, that has been used successfully for circulatory problems for over two decades.

Related Articles:

Is Aspirin The Most Trusted Painkiller of All?

The Toxicity of Acetaminophen

Aspirin Not Recommended for Heart Disease Anymore


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* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

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