Using painkillers 'can cut risk of breast cancer by one fifth'

Over the counter drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen can cut the likelihood of developing the disease, the most common form of cancer diagnosed in women.

More than 45,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in Britain every year and around 13,000 women die from the disease annually.

A new review of scientific studies into painkillers and breast cancer suggest that regular use can cut the chance of developing the disease by up to 21 per cent.

Scientist looked at 38 studies, involving more than 2.7 million women in five countries.

The findings show that women who regularly used painkillers were an average of 12 per cent less likely to develop the disease than women who used no pain medication.

Separate analysis of the evidence on individual drugs showed that using aspirin could reduce the risk by 13 per cent.

Researchers also found that using ibuprofen on its own cut the chance of developing the disease by 21 per cent.

Both drugs belong to a class known as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).