Researchers suggest that people taking aspirin regularly may have a lower risk of cancer

Researchers presenting work at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer  Research have suggested that people taking aspirin regularly may have a lower risk of cancer.

The American study collected information on aspirin use and cases of cancer over a long period of time in two large groups of people. In keeping with a number of other studies, the results suggested that, overall,  individuals who took aspirin regularly were less likely to develop cancer than those who did not take aspirin and that, in particular, they were less likely to develop gastrointestinal (stomach and bowel) cancers. Contrary to some other studies, the findings from this study did not suggest that people taking aspirin were less likely to develop breast, prostate or lung cancers. They also noted that the dose of aspirin may be important. Again, this has not been seen in other studies and needs to be confirmed.
 
Participants in the Add-Aspirin Trial will have had a previous diagnosis and treatment for cancer, and so their risk of cancer returning will be higher than in the general population and they may derive an even greater benefit from taking aspirin. Furthermore, aspirin may work in different ways. In this study the researchers were looking to see if aspirin can stop cancers developing in the first place. In the Add-Aspirin Trial we are mainly trying to find out if aspirin can stop cancers spreading or coming back after initial treatment. We do not believe that this new information affects the rationale for the trial but we will continue to monitor all new information carefully.