ASPO Abstracts
Associations of anti-inflammatory medication use with mammographic breast density
Category: Lifestyles Behavior, Energy Balance & Chemoprevention
Conference Year: 2019
Abstract Body:
Purpose: We investigated the associations of aspirin, other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and acetaminophen intake with mammographic breast density, a well-established and strong breast cancer risk factor. Methods: This study included 4,194 cancer-free women within the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and Nurses’ Health Study II (NHSII) cohorts. Percent breast density, absolute dense area (DA), and non-dense area (NDA) were measured from digitized film mammograms using a computer-assisted thresholding technique; all measures were square root-transformed for the analysis. Information on medication use was first collected in 1980 (NHS) and 1989 (NHSII) and was updated biennially. Medication use was defined as none, past or current; average cumulative dose and frequency were calculated for all past or current users using data collected from all bi-annual questionnaires preceding the mammogram date. We used generalized linear regression to quantify associations overall and by menopausal status. The regression estimates were adjusted for known breast cancer risk factors. Results: In the overall analysis, none of the medications were associated with percent density. Frequency of aspirin use and duration of current aspirin use were positively associated with DA (β=0.26 for 6+ days/week vs. no use, p trend=0.04 and β=0.26 for duration >5 years vs. no use, p-trend=0.01, respectively). Regular NSAIDs use was positively associated with both DA and NDA (current use with duration ≥5 years vs. no use: β=0.40, p-trend 0.40 and β=0.62, p-trend=0.01, respectively). In a stratified analysis by menopausal status, the duration of current aspirin use and regular NSAIDs use were both positively associated with DA in postmenopausal women (β=0.32 for current use with duration ≥5 years, p trend=0.01 and β=0.69 p trend<0.01, respectively). Frequency of aspirin and regular NSAIDs use were positively associated with NDA among postmenopausal women (β=0.26 for 6+ days/week vs. no use, p trend=0.04 and β=0.87 for current use with duration ≥5 years, p-trend=0.01, respectively). No associations were observed in premenopausal women.Conclusions: Aspirin and NSAIDs are positively associated with DA and NDA in postmenopausal women; no associations are found in premenopausal women.
Keywords: breast cancer, breast density,anti-inflammatory drugs, aspirin, NSAIDs