The impact of aspirin use on breast cancer subtype and clinical course

BACKGROUND: The use of aspirin has been associated with improved survival in patients with breast cancer, but the results have been mixed. We aim to analyze the impact of aspirin use before or after breast cancer diagnosis on breast cancer clinical characteristics and outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a single-institution, retrospective analysis of 1113 women diagnosed with operable breast cancer between 1995 and 2015. Patients were grouped according to their aspirin use: never (944), before diagnosis (79), and after diagnosis (90). Clinical variables, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between groups.

RESULTS: Women using aspirin before diagnosis were older, more likely to be black, and to have associated medical comorbidities than patients in other groups (all P <0.001). These patients were also more likely to present with hormone receptor-negative cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (P = 0.002). Aspirin use before diagnosis was associated with a worse OS in univariate and multivariate analyses (both P <0.001), but there were no other differences in OS or DFS related to aspirin use.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite a potential impact on tumor subtype in patients using aspirin before their breast cancer diagnosis, aspirin use does not appear to alter breast cancer-related survival.