Aspirin use and ovarian cancer mortality in a Danish nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND: Increasing data suggest that aspirin use may improve cancer survival; however, the evidence is sparse for ovarian cancer.

METHODS: We examined the association between postdiagnosis use of low-dose aspirin and mortality in a nationwide cohort of women with epithelial ovarian cancer between 2000 and 2012. Information on filled prescriptions of low-dose aspirin, dates and causes of death, and potential confounding factors was obtained from nationwide Danish registries. We used Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ovarian cancer-specific or other-cause mortality associated with low-dose aspirin use.

RESULTS: Among 4117 patients, postdiagnosis use of low-dose aspirin was associated with HRs of 1.02 (95% CI: 0.87-1.20) for ovarian cancer mortality and 1.06 (95% CI: 0.77-1.47) for other-cause mortality. Hazard ratios remained neutral according to patterns of low-dose aspirin use, including prediagnosis use or established mortality predictors.

CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose aspirin use did not reduce mortality among ovarian cancer patients.