Confirmed: Aspirin Prevents Cancer

It appears that the consumption of aspirin and a number of other Nonaspirin Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs might ensure our survival. Why? Because they counter cancer, specifically colorectal cancer. In a new study, researchers kept an eye on drug use, comorbid conditions and a long series of colonoscopy cases either from patient registries or prescriptions.

According to the prescriptions, a 75 to 150 mg intake of aspirin for five or more consecutive years led to a 27 percent decreased risk for colorectal cancer. Five or more consecutive years of nonaspirin use had indicated a 30 to 45 percent reduced chance in colorectal cancer risk.

The authors, however, point out about the adherence, which was formed of 2 to 3 percent of all aspirin users in the studies population who had a low intake. These people might have a higher risk of contracting colorectal cancer than the majority of the population does, so they are definitely an exception.

The study was published in the Journal of Annals of Internal Medicine, but researchers agreed that further research is required in order to give a final statement. It is good to know that aspirin can prevent people from contracting cancer, but we need to know what the exact requirements are and, perhaps, if it can counter any forms of cancer as well.

Dr. John Baron, a study co-author and a professor of medicine in the University of North Carolina is looking towards the future with great confidence, having stated that “the protective association is amazing” and that this study reveals how day to day medicine can have “unexpected benefits”.

But Dr. Baron also advises caution, mentioning that there are “potential risks” and that, if patients do want to start taking aspirin to prevent cancer, they should do so with the specific aid of a physician, as doing so alone can lead to the misuse of the drug.

The study also did not register any benefits for patients who were consuming very high quantities of aspirin, not those who were taking it on an irregular basis. So, for now, it seems that “a strict diet” is the only way in which you can truly prevent the disease.

As mentioned before, more tests should and will be conducted to further investigate the use of aspirin. It is suffice to say that the study did not exactly conclude that these drugs stop cancer, but there seems to be a connection in between the two. Now that we are aware of it, we can surely act to see whether it is true or not.

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