A review of 21 studies has revealed that aspirin may help to prevent many cases of breast cancer.
However, more research will need to be done before recommendations can be made on the appropriate dosage to take, and whether the side-effects of aspirin use outweigh the advantages.
Professor Ian Fentiman, from the Hedley Atkins Breast Unit, said: 'Having weighed up the findings from over 20 studies, we have concluded that NSAIDs may well offer significant protection against developing breast cancer in the first place and may provide a useful addition to the treatment currently available to women who already have the disease.'
The researcher noted that side-effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding had not been taken into account in the review.
'It would be essential to take these negative effects into account before we could justify routinely using NSAIDs like aspirin to prevent breast cancer,' he added.
Previous research has suggested that replacing animal fats with vegetables oils and eating plenty of fruit and vegetables may help to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
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