A new study on aspirin and cancer risk confirms findings from previous research on this topic. Just this past October, a large, long-term study found that daily low-dose aspirin reduces risk of colon cancer by up to 64%.
In addition to this, researchers have discovered that regular aspirin use may reduce risk of colon cancer in people who are at high risk for the disease and may even help colon cancer survivors avoid a recurrence.
The Latest on Aspirin and Cancer
Now, researchers out of Oxford University in Great Britain have confirmed that a daily low dose of aspirin significantly reduces deaths due to a range of common cancers, including colon cancer. The reduction in cancer deaths was significant enough that this study hit the mainstream media in force, appearing in Time Magazine Online, the New York Times, and Fox News.
By the Numbers
For this latest aspirin study, researchers combined eight previous randomized controlled trials involving a total of 25,570 people. This is called a meta-analysis, and it allows for researchers to analyze larger groups of people, making for a stronger study overall. In all of these studies, people were taking low doses of aspirin, ranging from 75 to 100 mg per day. For comparison, a baby aspirin contains 81 mg of the medication.
Here's what the researchers found:
- People taking aspirin for five or more years had 40% lower risk of dying of colon cancer compared with people not taking aspirin.
- People taking aspirin for at least five years had 60% lower risk of dying of esophageal cancer compared with those not taking aspirin.
- Deaths due to lung cancer were reduced by 30% in regular aspirin users vs. non-aspirin users.
- Prostate cancer deaths were reduced by 10% in men who regularly took low-dose aspirin vs. men not taking aspirin regularly.
- The longer people took low dose aspirin, the greater the decrease in their risk of developing cancer.
- Regular aspirin users had 20% decreased risk of dying of any solid tumor compared with people not taking low-dose aspirin regularly. Solid tumors include diseases such as breast, prostate, colon, lung, and stomach cancers. These are different from "liquid" or hematologic cancers, which include lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma.
Should You Take Low-Dose Aspirin Every Day?
Maybe. The study authors stopped short of recommending that everyone take low-dose aspirin to reduce their risk of cancer. They pointed out that aspirin can come with it's own downsides, including internal bleeding, which can be life threatening. Because of these downsides, you shouldn't self-medicate with low-dose aspirin everyday without first talking to your doctor.
For some people, the cancer risk reduction benefits of aspirin outweigh the risks of taking this drug every day. For others, the risk of harm is greater, and taking aspirin regularly is not a good idea.
To find out which group you fall into, talk to your doctor. Your doctor can discuss the pros and cons of low-dose aspirin therapy for you personally.
If your risk of colon or other cancers is higher than average, and you tolerate aspirin without digestive system side effects, you may be a great candidate for aspirin therapy. This might include people with a personal or family history of colon or other cancer, or someone with a condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease, that increases cancer risk significantly.
On the other hand, if you are at average cancer risk, the potential harms of aspirin may outweigh any cancer-fighting benefits. Ask your doc what's best for you.
