Regular use of selective COX-2 inhibitors significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer, a US study suggests.

The study, published in the open access journal BMC Cancer, found that daily use of selective COX-2 inhibitors, including Celebrex and Vioxx, was associated with a 71 per cent reduction in the risk of breast cancer.

Non-selective COX-2 inhibitors, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, also reduced the risk of breast cancer, the study added.

Researchers from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health collected data on 323 patients with invasive breast cancer shortly after their diagnosis.

They matched the patients for age, race and county of residence with 649 control individuals with no personal history of cancer.

Data collected from patients and controls included information on breast cancer risk factors, and the use of selective COX-2 inhibitors and other NSAIDs.

According to the researchers, the study highlights the potential of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the prevention of breast cancer.

Breast cancer facts:

Research conducted by Imaginis shows that breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women (after lung cancer) worldwide and is the most common type of cancer found among women in the world.

According to figures from the World Health Organization, around 1.2 million people worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005.

Earlier detection and better treatments have improved mortality rates in recent years.

The majority of breast cancers will be treated with surgery to remove the tumour.