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Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and breast cancer risk: differences by molecular subtype

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Abstract

Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been associated with reduced risk of breast cancer, though findings have been inconsistent. This inconsistency may result from differences in etiology for breast tumors of different subtypes. We examined the association between NSAID use and breast cancer characterized by molecular subtypes in a population-based case–control study in Western New York. Cases (n = 1,170) were women with incident, primary, histologically confirmed breast cancer. Controls (n = 2,115) were randomly selected from NY Department of Motor Vehicles records (<65 years) or Medicare rolls (≥65 years). Participants answered questions regarding their use of aspirin and ibuprofen in the year prior to interview and their use of aspirin throughout their adult life. Logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Recent and lifetime aspirin use was associated with reduced risk, with no differences by subtype. Recent use of ibuprofen was significantly associated with increased risk of ER+/PR+(OR 1.33, 95% CI: 1.09–1.62), HER2− (OR 1.27, 95% CI: 1.05–1.53), and p53− breast cancers (OR 1.28, 95% CI: 1.04–1.57), as well as luminal A or B breast cancers. These findings support the hypothesis of heterogeneous etiologies of breast cancer subtypes and that aspirin and ibuprofen vary in their effects.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by grants DAMD-17-03-1-0446 and DAMD-17-96-1-6202 from the US Department of Defense, and R01-CA92040, P50-AA09802, R25-CA94880, and K05-CA154337 from the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Theodore M. Brasky, Matthew R. Bonner, Jing Nie, Meng Hua Tao & Jo L. Freudenheim

  2. Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Kirsten B. Moysich & Christine B. Ambrosone

  3. Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Stephen B. Edge

  4. Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

    Bhaskar V. S. Kallakury, Catalin Marian, David S. Goerlitz & Peter G. Shields

  5. Nevada System of Higher Education, Las Vegas, NV, USA

    Maurizio Trevisan

  6. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, M4-B402, 1100 Fairview Ave. N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA

    Theodore M. Brasky

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  1. Theodore M. Brasky
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  2. Matthew R. Bonner
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Correspondence to Theodore M. Brasky.

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Brasky, T.M., Bonner, M.R., Moysich, K.B. et al. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and breast cancer risk: differences by molecular subtype. Cancer Causes Control 22, 965–975 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-011-9769-9

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