Aspirin A Day Keeps Cancer At Bay

Mounting evidence suggests an effect of aspirin in reducing overall cancer incidence and deaths in the general population. Jack Cuzick, from Queen Mary University (United Kingdom), and colleagues completed a meta-analysis of available evidence from studies and clinical trials assessing benefits and harm found that taking aspirin for 10 years.   The data suggested that daily aspirin therapy could cut bowel cancer cases by around 35% and deaths from the disease by 40%.  Rates of esophageal and stomach cancer were cut by 30% and deaths from these cancers by 35 to 50%.  Observing that: “For average-risk individuals aged 50-65 years taking aspirin for 10 years, there would be a relative reduction of between 7% (women) and 9% (men) in the number of cancer, myocardial infarction or stroke events over a 15-year period and an overall 4% relative reduction in all deaths over a 20-year period,” the study authors conclude that: “Prophylactic aspirin use for a minimum of 5 years at doses between 75 and 325 mg/day appears to have favorable benefit-harm profile; longer use is likely to have greater benefits.”