Influence of postdiagnostic aspirin use on clinical outcomes of women with breast cancer: a meta-analysis

We examined the association between postdiagnostic aspirin use and recurrence and disease-specific mortality among women with breast cancer in a meta-analysis. The PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched to identify observational studies with longitudinal follow-ups according to the aim of the meta-analysis. Combining the results was achieved using a random-effects model that included inter-study heterogeneity. Fifteen cohort studies with 131,636 women with breast cancer were included. Based on a meta-analysis, women who took aspirin after being diagnosed with breast cancer had a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence (adjusted risk ratio [RR]: 0.77, 95 percent confidence interval [CI]: 0.63 to 0.95, P = .02; I² = 72 percent) and breast cancer specific mortality (adjusted RR: 0.73, 95 percent CI: 0.60 to 0.90, P = .004; I² = 80 percent) than those who did not use aspirin. The certainty of the evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluations scoring system showed moderate certainty for both the outcomes because significant inconsistency was observed. In conclusion, aspirin use after diagnosis might be associated with reduced recurrence and disease-specific mortality in women with breast cancer.