Low dose aspirin reduces the risk of many deadly cancers. That’s the conclusion from a meta-analysis of eight studies involving more than 25,000 patients. The strongest protection was against digestive tract cancers. People who took as little as 75 milligrams of aspirin daily cut their risk of gastrointestinal cancers in half over five years.
This is consistent with the findings from studies dating back two decades. Early research focused primarily on colorectal cancer, but this new analysis demonstrates significant reductions in esophageal cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer as well. What makes the data compelling is that people who took aspirin longer had a greater response.
Investigators speculate that aspirin reduces inflammation associated with tumor growth. The anti-cancer effect may be even stronger than the protection aspirin offers from heart attacks and strokes.
Regular use of aspirin, even low dose aspirin, can lead to bleeding stomach ulcers, but the consensus is growing that the benefits outweigh the risks. Nevertheless, anyone who plans to take aspirin long term should ask the doctor to supervise.
[The Lancet, online Dec. 7, 2010]
