Study Links Pain Relievers And Breast Cancer

A new study of California teachers fuels the debate about whether aspirin, ibuprofen or other, related pain relievers affect breast-cancer risk. Although research has consistently linked use of aspirin and other anti-inflammatory pain relievers with a lower risk of colon cancer, findings about the drugs' effect on breast-cancer risk have been mixed. Some suggest that the pain relievers protect against breast cancer, while others have found no link. The latest study, out today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is the first to suggest that long-term ibuprofen or aspirin use might actually raise the risk of breast cancer. But the lead author says there is no biological explanation for that surprising finding.