It seems like an annual headline, or more accurately a quarterly one, and it's back again: taking daily aspirin cuts the risk of dying from cancer.
This time, the headline arrives by way of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), which published a study headed by researchers at the American Cancer Society.
This observational study looked at 100,000 people, almost all of them of elderly age, and took their reported daily aspirin intake, and determined that those who were taking a daily aspirin were 16 percent less likely to die from cancer than those who did not report taking a daily aspirin.
Their findings indicate that maybe aspirin isn't quite as effective in protecting people against developing cancer as has previously been thought, but they did find a 40 percent reduced risk of dying from cancers of the gastrointestinal tract (esophageal, stomach and colon) as well as a 12 percent lower mortality from other types of cancers.
Critics have already pointed out plenty of possible problems with the study, which is likely why the study conclusion does not overtly recommend changes to standard treatment guidelines.
Still, the authors write that "Even a relatively modest benefit with respect to overall cancer mortality could still meaningfully influence the balances of risk and benefits of prophylactic aspirin use."
Despite this being yet another positive study relating to aspirin use and cancer incidence, it is always best to discuss whether or not the decision to begin taking something daily is right or not for each individual person with their doctor first.
Source: JNCI, Reuters
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