Aspirin associated with pancreatic cancer

Women who take aspirin regularly may be at greater risk of pancreatic cancer, according to a study presented today at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston analyzed surveys of more than 88,000 nurses who took part in the Nurses’ Health Study. Those nurses who took aspirin regularly over a long period were at a 58 percent greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

The absolute risk of pancreatic cancer was low. In the entire group of 88,378 nurses, there were 161 cases of pancreatic cancer over 18 years. Read an abstract (go to study No. A162).