British medical journal Lancet published a new study today. Taking low-dose aspirin for years might decrease the chance of dying from cancer. The study re-reviewed eight studies that included over 25,000 participants. You will find still major gaps in this research. You shouldn’t immediately begin taking aspirin, however talk with your doctor.
Aspirin might reduce cancer chance
Today, the meta-study was published. A team or researchers in Britain published them. The chance of dying from cancer goes down when taking 75 milligrams of aspirin day-to-day for five or more years. Deaths from lung and prostate cancer were decreased about 20 percent, gastrointestinal cancers by 54 percent and esophageal cancers by 60 percent. These benefits appeared after day-to-day low-dose aspirin had been taken for between five and 20 years. The studies had at first been intended to check out the cardiovascular effects of taking regular aspirin.
Not suggesting regular aspirin
Researchers don't suggest that you take aspirin day-to-day even though there was a lot of improvement on surviving cancers with it. "Proof of principle" needs to be found with more studies. Also, the meta-study only had a few subjects in it. It would be relatively safe to take aspirin daily. Of course, ringing in the ears, loss of balance, heartburn and thinning of blood can take place with it too. “I surely think we wouldn’t want for making any treatment decisions depending on this research,” said Dr. Raymond DuBois, a provost of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Issues with the aspirin-cancer research
The 2 studies that found the link between aspirin and improved cancer success rates have both been conducted by the same group of researchers in Britain. These two studies, however, still leave significant spaces. Out of the 25,500 individuals in the main meta-analysis, only 33 percent were women. Less common cancers like brain and stomach cancer with low-dose aspirin weren't tested at all with the data. The group of patients may be statistically skewed since the benefit of aspirin on the heart was what the studies were at first working on.
It isn't a good idea to begin taking aspirin as there isn’t enough research on the subject yet although it might be really exciting to begin exploring the use of aspirin on cancer.
Citations
Washington Post
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/07/AR2010120701602.html
Business Week
businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/647054.html
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