The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) has announced the national roll-out of a major clinical study, which aims to improve outcomes for breast cancer patients by looking more closely at the potentially important role of aspirin.

Recent research part-funded by the ICS found that women who had been prescribed aspirin regularly before a diagnosis of breast cancer were less likely to see the disease spread to their lymph nodes compared to women who were not on prescribed aspirin.

Researchers now want to investigate how aspirin may produce this effect. The work will be carried out by a team from the society's first collaborative cancer research centre, BREAST-PREDICT - a country-wide collaboration involving over 50 experts in the field of breast cancer research.

Central to this research is the development of a national breast cancer biobank and database, which includes patient information, tumour tissue and blood samples collected from almost every breast cancer patient in the country.

The researchers plan to gather information on aspirin use in almost 3,000 breast cancer patients from around the country. Patients who participate will be asked about their recent exposure to the drug.

The researchers will also carry out studies in the laboratory in an attempt to determine how aspirin might act to reduce the risk of breast cancer spreading.

The study is one of a number of clinical studies run by the national cancer clinical research organisation, ICORG (All Ireland Co-operative Oncology Research Group), which also receives funding from the ICS.

As a result of clinical trials run by ICORG, BREAST-PREDICT researchers have access to serum and tumour samples from more than 1,000 breast cancer patients. These samples have a key role in improving our understanding of breast cancer and its treatments. For example, scientists can assess the samples in order to understand how tumours adapt to treatment and why some people respond to treatment, while others do not.

"The ICS firmly believes that excellent cancer research goes hand in hand with excellent cancer care and so we are delighted with the progress of the clinical research being conducted by BREAST-PREDICT. Ultimately, through this research, breast cancer patients in Ireland today are playing an important role in improving the lives of breast cancer patients in the future," commented Dr Sinead Walsh of the ICS.

Details of the study roll-out were released to coincide with the launch of the ICS's new breast cancer campaign, Paint it Pink, which is calling on men and women to come together this October to try to raise money for breast cancer services and research.

"We are delighted to announce this exciting clinical study at the launch of our new breast cancer campaign Paint it Pink. The campaign is all about doing something to paint it pink this October, sharing pictures of your activity online, and texting the word Pink to 50300 to donate €4 to the society," said ICS chief executive officer, John McCormack.

He warned that ‘significant' funds are needed to continue the fight against breast cancer.

For more information on the new campaign, click here