Aspirin May Lower Risk of Ovarian and Hepatocellular Cancers

Two prospective cohort studies showed that regular use of low-dose aspirin was associated with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer and that regular, long-term aspirin use was associated with a dose-dependent reduction in the risk of hepatocellular cancer (HCC). The first study in 2 cohorts of 93,664 (mean age 45.9 years) and 111,834 (mean age 34.2 years) women (>90% white) each were followed from 1980 to 2015. There were 1,054 cases of incident epithelial ovarian cancer. An inverse association for low-dose aspirin (≤100 mg; hazard ratio [HR]=0.77) was observed. However, an increased risk of ovarian cancer among long-term, high-quantity users of non-aspirin analgesics was also observed. The second study in 2 nationwide cohorts of 87,507 men (since 1986) and 45,864 women (since 1980), with >26 years of follow-up, 108 incident HCC cases (65 women, 43 men) were documented. Compared with non-regular use, regular aspirin use (≥2 standard-dose [325 mg] tablets per week) was associated with reduced HCC risk (adjusted HR=0.51). This benefit appeared to be dose related: compared with non-use, the multivariable-adjusted HR for HCC was 0.87 for 0.5 to 1.5 standard-dose tablets per week, 0.51 for 1.5 to 5 tablets per week, and 0.49 for more than 5 tablets per week. Significantly lower HCC risk was observed with increasing duration; this decrease was apparent with use of 1.5 or more standard-dose aspirin tablets per week for 5 or more years (adjusted HR=0.41). In contrast, use of non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was not significantly associated with HCC risk. Aspirin has been recommended for certain populations, including individuals aged between 50 and 69 years, with specific cardiovascular risk profiles for colorectal cancer prevention. Source: https://jamanetwork.com/