Scottsdale – A report seen on CBS news says breast cancer patients who take aspirin regularly may be able t cut their risk of dying by 50 percent, according to a study by Harvard Medical School and published Tuesday in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Most of the women taking the aspirin to reduce their risk of stroke or cardiac problems may find an additional benefit when it comes to breast cancer recurrence and mortality, according to the study. In the survey, from 1976 to 2006 of more than 4,000 registered nurses showed that women who took aspirin regularly (two to five days a week) cut their risk of having the cancer spread by 60 percent and reduced their risk of dying from breast cancer by 71 percent.

Breast cancers produces inflammatory chemicals when compared to normal breast cells. Lab tests show that aspirin keeps breast tumor cells from growing and invading other tissue. Researchers theorize that aspirin may help control cancer by fighting inflammatory chemical or signal produced by cancer cells.

The medical investigators said more study is needed and they caution that aspirin therapy can thin blood and can cause stomach bleeding or ulcers, even in healthy women.