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Can aspirin work its wonders to prevent cancer?

Doctors have appreciated the healing potential of aspirin for centuries. Its longevity and versatility as a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory have led some to herald it as a “miracle drug." Aspirin is used to relieve headaches and arthritis. It helps reduce fevers and soothe toothaches. Because aspirin thins the blood, doctors may recommend it to some patients to help prevent blood clots and reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack. Now, evidence is mounting that an aspirin regimen may also help reduce the risk of certain cancers, especially colorectal cancer. “Epidemiological studies have shown aspirin to reduce the incidence of formation of polyps and thus reduce the probability of developing…

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 Aspirin can reduce the risk of cancer - and we're starting to understand why

The 4,000-year-old drug, most commonly used to treat pain, prevents certain tumours from forming and spreading across the body – findings that are already changing health policies.

Articles of Interest

Aspirin and breast cancer risk: How a wonder drug may become more wonderful

Aspirin has been called a wonder drug. And it’s easy to see why. It’s inexpensive, its side effects are well-known and generally minor. And since it was developed in the 1890s, it’s been shown to provide a number of potential benefits, such as relieving pain, bringing down a fever, and preventing heart attacks and strokes. Over the last 20 years or so, the list of aspirin’s potential benefits has been growing. And it might be about to get even longer: did you know that aspirin may lower your risk of several types of cancer?

Aspirin can have ‘huge effect’ in stopping colorectal cancer returning, study finds

Swedish researchers find low daily dose can halve risk in post-surgery patients with specific gene mutations.

Aspirin May Lower the Risk of Dying from Cancer

The connection between aspirin and a lower risk of cancer death is encouraging. But doctors say it shouldn’t prompt people to start taking aspirin if they don’t need to, simply to lower their risk of cancer. Even at recommended doses, aspirin also comes with side effects, especially if taken over long periods of time. It can block an enzyme produced in the stomach that protects delicate intestinal tissues from the acids that digest food, leading to potentially severe damage, including bleeding of gut tissues. People should seek the counsel of their doctors to weigh the latest evidence.

Aspirin Might Reduce Cancer Risk, But It Has Risks, Too

Regular aspirin use might reduce the risk of cancer by as much as 38 percent, according to a big new review of research on the issue. But "might" is the key word here, other scientists say. And even if it works, that benefit comes with costs, including an increased risk of ulcers and internal bleeding.

Aspirin Not a Cancer Blocker

An aspirin a day keeps the doctor away. Or does it? A 10-year study throws in doubt the widespread idea that taking aspirin at low doses helps prevent cancer. Aspirin takes the edge off aches and pains by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes that cause inflammation, which recent studies suggest can trigger cancer. And COX enzymes can also make mischief by helping tumors build blood vessels. So it was exciting when laboratory experiments with animals showed that aspirin helps prevent many cancers.

Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?

A new study details how a daily dose could prevent or delay the progression of the world’s third most common type of cancer.

Could Aspirin Cut Your Risk for This Kind of Cancer?

Very interesting new research shows that taking a dose of aspirin regularly might actually decrease your risk for developing cancer...

Could aspirin reverse increased cancer risk in overweight people?

The health benefits of aspirin have been appearing in scientific literature for several decades, including a protective effect in those at increased risk of cancer. In a new finding published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, we found that a regular dose of aspirin significantly reduced the long-term risk of cancer in overweight people with Lynch syndrome, a relatively common inherited condition that results in about half of gene carriers developing cancer at a young age.

Daily Aspirin Tied to Lower Risk of Various Digestive Cancers

Regular aspirin use was associated with a reduced risk for colon, rectal, stomach, esophageal, liver, gallbladder and pancreatic cancers.

Daily Baby Aspirin May Lower Ovarian Cancer Risk

Taking low-dose aspirin is a daily routine for many people because it may lower the risk for heart attacks and strokes, and some research has tied it to a lower risk of colorectal cancer. Now a new study in JAMA Oncology suggests it may lower the risk for ovarian cancer as well.

Daily Low-Dose Aspirin May Decrease Cancer Risk for Some Adults, Study Suggests

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is the strongest predictor of whether daily low-dose aspirin could help prevent cancer in healthy, older adults, according to research published in JAMA Oncology. However, the effectiveness of daily low-dose aspirin in reducing cancer risk varied widely across the study cohort, indicating personalized treatment approaches would be beneficial, researchers reported.

Long-term aspirin use and cancer risk: a 20-year cohort study

Long-term low-dose aspirin use was associated with slight to moderately reduced risks for several cancers but not for cancer overall owing to increased risk for some common cancers. Similar or slightly stronger inverse associations were observed for consistent use of high-dose aspirin.

One Aspirin a Day Helps Keep Cancer Away

According to the largest analysis conducted to date, daily doses of aspirin significantly reduces the risk of getting some common cancers.

Regular Aspirin Use May Increase Older People’s Risk of Dying from Cancer

Numerous studies have suggested that people who regularly take low doses of aspirin may have reduced risks of being diagnosed with or dying from cancer. But new findings from a randomized clinical trial, called ASPREE, suggest that the same may not hold true for older adults.

Scientists discover how aspirin could prevent some cancers from spreading

Studies of people with cancer have previously observed that those taking daily low-dose aspirin have a reduction in the spread of some cancers, such as breast, bowel, and prostate cancers, leading to ongoing clinical trials. However, until now it wasn’t known exactly how aspirin could prevent metastases.