Aspirin and Bc

I've taken aspirin all my adult life. I never switched to Tylanol. I've had breast cancer twice.

I’d been on low-dose aspirin therapy for five years before being diagnosed with bc. I take the adult enteric-coated version due to GERD. My husband Bob, a cardiologist, recently switched to children’s chewables (swallowing them) on the theory that more of the aspirin gets into the bloodstream because it is more completely digested. But he says I should keep taking the coated version.

So why did I still get bc? Remember, just because the chances of getting something are lowered, they’re not lowered to zero. And that 7% reduction is 7% of the 12% lifetime chance (to age 80) of being diagnosed with bc. That 7% is a relative reduction. We are talking about an absolute risk reduction of…wait for it…0.84%. Yup, less than a 1% difference. Don’t start popping a daily baby aspirin unless you are at cardiovascular risk due to age, family history, or your own medical history & lifestyle. It is still a powerful drug which can do harm as well work miracles, not some innocuous nutritional supplement (not all of which are innocuous).

To quote the late Warren Zevon in his song “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” (out of context, as he was referring to recreational drugs & alcohol), “I only take this medicine as prescribed.” Good advice in general.

I'm taking one full strength aspirin every day. But important again to note that nothing is a cure and nothing can completely protect us from cancer. We are all susceptible--even those not dx--because cells just go haywire sometimes when copying themselves. However, I don't have any side effects from aspirin, it's relatively cheap, and if taking aspirin helps, coupled with the other lifestyle choices I've made to further help my body fight any recurrence, then why not do it? It can't hurt and may very well help. But I am not looking at it as though it's a silver bullet.

I took a full dose aspirin when I was put on tamoxifen; switched to baby aspirin just a few years ago. I'm not deluding myself that it will guarantee no recurrence, but it is all I have in my arsenal after finishing tamoxifen and arimidex. People taking NSAIDS also have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, so not for nothing, I take it. I get the baby aspirin from costco and chew it. Baby aspirin is overpriced and has added sugar and they are so small, I don't mind the few seconds of bitter.

Exercise guru, I thought aspirin helps to prevent stroke and heart attack.

My MO put me on baby aspirin - one pill every other day - soon after diagnosis.That was four years ago.