|
For Immediate Release
October 29, 2003
October 28, 2003 (Washington, DC) -
Women who take aspirin daily should not be alarmed by
research reported today that suggested a link between
long-term aspirin use and an increased risk of pancreatic
cancer, said the Aspirin Foundation of America.
The Aspirin Foundation noted that the
findings of the new study, presented at a meeting of
the American Association for Cancer Research, conflict
with other important research. A study published last
year in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute
found that aspirin could reduce the risk of pancreatic
cancer among women by as much as 43 percent, and the
more often women took aspirin the less likely they were
to have pancreatic cancer.
The authors of the new study were quoted
by the New York Times as pointing out that theirs is
the first large study to find such a link with pancreatic
cancer. They cautioned that women should not make changes
on the basis of a single study.
The number of pancreatic cancer cases
in the study was less than 0.2 percent, a smaller subset
of which was taking aspirin. "We need other large
cohort studies to confirm our finding before we can
draw any conclusions," said Dr. Eva Schernhammer,
one of the authors.
She told reporters: "This finding does not mean
that women should no longer use aspirin. There are still
important benefits to the drug."
Stopping aspirin therapy could be harmful,
especially among heart disease patients who receive
a proven health benefit to combat an illness that claims
far more lives than pancreatic cancer, noted Dr. Thomas
Bryant, president of the Aspirin Foundation. Women who
are concerned should discuss this finding with their
physician, who can weigh a patient's health risks and
the benefits of aspirin therapy against any possible
adverse effects.
###
Contact:
Caroline Perrin
807 National Press Building, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 800-432-3247 Fax: 202/737-8406
info@aspirin.org
|
