Daily Aspirin May Lower Cancer Death Risk

Previously, a number of studies have suggested that low-dose daily aspirin confers cardioprotective effects.  Eric J. Jacobs, from the American Cancer Society (Georgia, USA), and colleagues analyzed data from the Cancer Prevention Study II, which enrolled 100,139 participants.  Subjects completed questionnaires with information on demographics, medical history, and behavioral influences; they also subsequently provided information about aspirin use beginning in 1997, and continued to provide updates every 2 years. During the 20 years of follow-up, there were 5,138 deaths from cancer. Among those who reported aspirin use in 1997, three-quarters said they were still taking it in 2003, while among those who were non-users at baseline, 25% had begun doing so.  Individuals who were current daily users for 5 years or more at baseline had an 8% decrease in cancer mortality compared with non-users  Overall mortality was slightly lower even for individuals who had been users for less than 5 years.  Relative risks were similar for users of low-dose and full-strength aspirin, and for those with and without a history of cardiovascular disease, ranging from 0.82 to 0.95.  Aspirin use in 1997 was not significantly associated with mortality from specific cancers, but differences were seen when data through 2008 were included in the analysis:  specifically, daily aspirin use associated with a modest decrease in mortality from malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract.