title: Alternate-day, low-dose aspirin and cancer risk: long-term observational follow-up of a randomized trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent evidence suggests that daily aspirin use decreases cancer risk, particularly for colorectal cancer, but evidence for alternate-day use is scant.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between long-term, alternate-day, low-dose aspirin and cancer in healthy women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational follow-up of a randomized trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female health professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  39,876 women aged 45 years or older in the Women's Health Study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00000479), 33 682 of whom continued observational follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  100 mg of alternate-day aspirin or placebo through March 2004, with a median 10-year follow-up. Posttrial follow-up continued through March 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cancer incidence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 5071 cancer cases (including 2070 breast, 451 colorectal, and 431 lung cancer cases) and 1391 cancer deaths were confirmed. Over the entire follow-up, aspirin had no association with total (hazard ratio [HR], 0.97 [95% CI, 0.92 to 1.03]; P = 0.31), breast (HR, 0.98 [CI, 0.90 to 1.07]; P = 0.65), or lung (HR, 1.04 [CI, 0.86 to 1.26]; P = 0.67) cancer. Colorectal cancer was reduced in the aspirin group (HR, 0.80 [CI, 0.67 to 0.97]; P = 0.021), primarily for proximal colon cancer (HR, 0.73 [CI, 0.55 to 0.95]; P = 0.022). The difference emerged after 10 years, with a posttrial reduction of 42% (HR, 0.58 [CI, 0.42 to 0.80]; P < 0.001). There was no extended effect on cancer deaths or colorectal polyps. More gastrointestinal bleeding (HR, 1.14 [CI, 1.06 to 1.22]; P < 0.001) and peptic ulcers (HR, 1.17 [CI, 1.09 to 1.27]; P < 0.001) occurred in the aspirin group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Not all women received extended follow-up, and posttrial ascertainment bias cannot be ruled out. Gastrointestinal bleeding, peptic ulcers, and polyps were self-reported during extended follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term use of alternate-day, low-dose aspirin may reduce risk for colorectal cancer in healthy women.
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, 900 Commonwealth Avenue East, Boston, MA 02215, USA. ncook@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Nancy R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: I-Min
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shumin M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: M Vinayaga
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Moorthy
authors.forename: Julie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Buring
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D001241:Aspirin