does aspirin suppress the immune system?

I'm reading the Anti-cancer Book right now (Dr. David Serbin-Schrieber) and just read that there is a strong link to cancer and inflammation (even if you don't suffer symptoms of inflam.). Asprin/aleve/advil, he claims, would have some benefit towards cancer protection but you have to be careful as too much can cause stomach problems and possibly ulcers.

You can google the book and check it out. 

My wife Bev is taking 1/4 of an aspirin daily.  She is willing to take the chance of the bleeding risks, hoping for benefit of reduced risk of recurrance / spread.  She was diagnosed stage 3A , Er+, PR+ approx 3 years ago, and currently on tamoxifen.  While there is no proof it prevents metastasis, epidemiological evidence shows a strong corrolation between women who took aspirin regularly and whose breast cancer didn't spread.  Other data shows that men and women who took aspirin regularly, have about a 1/5 less rate of initial occurance of a number of different cancers.  If I recall correctly, for the reduction of the spread of breast cancer, it was an overwhelming difference, like around 80 percent less.  Was the aspirin the cause?  No one knows for sure, but there are reasonably theories that reduction of the enzyme cycloxygenase (COX) may interfere with the spread of cancer.  COX produces prostoglandins, which are chemicals causing inflammation.  The guess is that these inflammatory signals are necessary for cancer to grow and spread.

Is this the link? Cheers.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/179509.php

I hope this link provides some useful information on the subject.  Bear in mind they are talking about a correllation, and not a proven cause and effect.  71 percent was the figure they touted as the maximum reduction in breast cancer death from women who took aspirin several times a week.  Proving that aspirin was in fact the cause of the reduction in deaths would require a proper controlled study.

Large Analysis Finds That Breast Cancer Patients Who Take Aspirin Reduce Their Risk of Breast Cancer Spread and Death by Nearly Half

Posted online February 16, 2010, on http://www.jco.org/.

An analysis of data from the Nurse's Health Study, a large, ongoing prospective observational study, shows for the first time that women who have completed treatment for early-stage breast cancer and who take aspirin have a nearly 50 percent reduced risk of breast cancer death and a similar reduction in the risk of metastasis. The findings were reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Investigators report it is not yet clear how aspirin affects cancer cells, but they speculate it decreases the risk of cancer metastasis by reducing inflammation, which is closely associated with cancer development. Prior studies have also suggested that aspirin inhibits cancer spread: one study found that people with colon cancer who took aspirin lived longer than those who did not, and laboratory studies have also shown that aspirin inhibited the growth and invasiveness of breast cancer cells.

In this analysis, researchers evaluated data from the Nurses' Health Study, which included 4,164 female nurses in the United States (ages 30 to 55 in 1976) who were diagnosed with stage I, II, or III breast cancer between 1976 and 2002 and were followed through June 2006. They examined patients' use of aspirin for one or more years after a breast cancer diagnosis (when patients would have completed treatment such as surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy) and the frequency of metastasis and breast cancer death. (The authors emphasized that patients undergoing active treatment should not take aspirin due to potential interactions that can increase certain side effects.)

A total of 400 women experienced metastasis, and 341 of these died of breast cancer. Women who took aspirin two to five days per week had a 60 percent reduced risk of metastasis and a 71 percent lower risk of breast cancer death. Those who took aspirin six or seven days a week had a 43 percent reduced risk of metastasis and a 64 percent lower risk of breast cancer death. The risk of breast cancer metastasis and death did not differ between women who did not take aspirin and those who took aspirin once a week.

Researchers also found that women who took non-aspirin non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, six or seven days a week also had a reduced risk of breast cancer death (a 48 percent reduction), but women who took NSAIDS less frequently and those who used acetaminophen (Tylenol) did not experience such a benefit.

While the investigators did not have data on aspirin dose, they noted that women who took aspirin regularly most likely took a low dose (81 mg/day), which is associated with heart disease prevention.

What This Means for Patients

This is the first study to find that aspirin can significantly reduce the risk of cancer spread and death for women who have been treated for early-stage breast cancer. If these findings are confirmed in other clinical trials, taking aspirin may become another simple, low-cost and relatively safe tool to help women with breast cancer live longer, healthier lives.

However, it is important to note that aspirin is not for everyone because it can cause stomach bleeding. Do not begin taking aspirin every day without first speaking with your doctor.

http://www.cancer.net/patient/Publications+and+Resources/Cancer+Advances/News+for+Patients+from+the+Journal+of+Clinical+Oncology/Large+Analysis+Finds+That+Breast+Cancer+Patients+Who+Take+Aspirin+Reduce+Their+Risk+of+Breast+Cancer+Spread+and+Death+by+Nearly+Half

http://atvb.ahajournals.org/content/3/4/383.abstract

Just wanted to add that ibuprofen blocks the effect of aspirin on platelets.

Also salicylates, of which aspirin is one, are found in fruits, vegetables and herbs so a baby aspirin dose can be covered by dietary means. Not sure though if anticancer effects are the same. But  no platelet suppression getting anti-inflammatories this way.

On today's news, double blind placebo study in Britain shows aspirin reduces risk of colon cancer among those at high risk.

I started aspirin (I take 1 adult nightly) when I started tamoxifen because of the risk of clots with tamoxifen.

 I did read a new study that said those who are prone to retinal disease (macular degeneration) may be compounding the problem with aspirin.

Heidihill, that seems strange that you could not buy the baby aspirin without a prescription, as Dr Oz recommends it. I buy it in the supermarket in Australia. As you can see above, NatsFan also buys it at the grocery store in US.

Peggy,

I think our diets and external factors paly a part in flammation in the body. The Anti-inflammation diet gives you a lot of information on the subject. You can purchase it or find it at the library. After you read it come back and share your thoughts with us.