Regular aspirin use reduces cancer risk

Chinese researchers have claimed that long-term aspirin use reduces the risk of developing a multitude of cancers.

Studying the link between the drug and cancer development in 600,000 people, the researchers found that those taking the drug every day for an average of seven years were 47 per cent less likely to develop liver or oesophageal cancer and 38 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with gastric cancer.

Additionally, they were also 34 per cent less likely to develop pancreatic cancer, and had a 24 per cent reduced risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

A study by Cardiff University found that a daily aspirin increased the chance of surviving bowel, breast and prostate cancer by 20 per cent. However, many medics still maintain that the regular use of aspirin is linked to bleeding in the gut, and so do not prescribe it in the long term.

Professor Kelvin Tsoi from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said: “The findings demonstrate that the long-term use of aspirin can reduce the risk of developing many major cancers. What should be noted is the significance of the results for cancers within the digestive tract, where the reductions in cancer incidence were all very substantial, especially for liver and oesophageal cancer.”