Could Aspirin Become Our Cure All?

A new study talked about by the American Cancer Society shows the potential benefits of Aspirin use in the prevention of cancer. While the information is a long way off from recommending aspirin for such use, the findings are interesting indeed.

More than a million people are diagnosed with cancer each year in the US. Though modern treatments can help prolong life and better the chances of survival for these people, the ultimate goal is prevention. The latest set of aspirin studies show potential for just that.

As we already know the benefits of a daily dose of aspirin has been previously proven in the prevention of heart disease and stroke. The aspirin-cancer link has been widely studied, but researchers are not able to come to a conclusion about whether it's useful in cancer prevention thus far.

However, in animals aspirin inhibits the development of colorectal, breast, prostate, lung, and bladder and skin cancers. Studies on people have been harder to tell if the same results would happen. Some studies have shown better results and some have shown no results. This is largely because the studies are all different in design. Important factors such as daily dosage, frequency of dose, and how long people used aspirin were all open to interpretation for various studies.

Taking the results from past studies on aspirin in low doses, the American Cancer Society (ACS) focused on long-term use of adult-dose (325 mg or more) aspirin. They also compared cancer rates and aspirin usage among a large group of 70,000 men and 76,000 women who were already taking part in a study that was focusing on the link between lifestyles and cancer. The findings of this study can be found in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (Vol. 99, No. 8: 608-615).

What they found was that "rates were about 15% lower in people who used adult-dose aspirin daily for 5 years or longer, compared to people who used no aspirin", as stated in an article by ACS. When specific cancers were looked at they found a 30% lower risk of colorectal and a 20% lower risk of prostate cancer. There was a 15% lower risk of breast cancer and the other cancers that were being studies as well; (lung, bladder, pancreatic, kidney, melanoma, and leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma) showed no significant change in risk level.

So what does this mean for cancer prevention? While the findings are intriguing, they are not enough for doctors to start recommending aspirin to their patients. Also, always keep in mind that aspirin can cause serious stomach bleeding, as well as other side effects which increase with higher doses.

While ACS continues to research the role that aspirin can play in cancer prevention, the recommendation of use is likely years off and that would only be after ample studies have been done to prove to a certainty the aid of aspirin in the prevention of cancer.

Until the time when a preventive medicine is found it is up to you to help prevent cancer in yourself. Keep your weigh at a healthy range, eat fresh fruits and vegetables and get plenty of exercise. If there is a history of cancer in your family, work with your doctor to have all the appropriate screenings done.