Powerful evidence that daily use of a baby aspirin may significantly reduce the risk of dying from certain types of cancer has important ramifications. It's especially welcome news because the cancers involved are among the leading causes of death. Additional study is needed to substantiate and refine the current research, but that is not expected to alter earlier results. Aspirin, readily available without a prescription at a reasonable price, is likely to become a widely used and potent adjunct in the war against a variety of deadly cancers.
That is the thrust of a new report published online in the Lancet, the authoritative British medical journal. Researchers discovered that daily use of low-dose aspirin over long periods of time may greatly reduce the chance of death in cases of stomach, colorectal and esophageal cancer. Smaller reductions in the risk of death from adenocarcinoma and lung cancer in those who do not smoke were also reported. The benefits, however, are not uniform.
The aspirin effect does not extend to all cancers, researchers report. Use of the drug did not seem to affect the risk of death from pancreatic, prostate, bladder, kidney, brain or blood cancers. And because most of the study subjects were men, there's not information available for scientists to determine what effect aspirin may have on breast, ovarian or endometrial cancers.
The new study is not the first evidence of the protective powers of aspirin. Millions of Americans already take a daily tablet to help protect against cardiovascular disease. If the Lancet report is correct -- most scientists who have read the report agree with it -- it is likely that those on a long-term, low-dose aspirin regimen have accrued an additional benefit of some protection against cancer over the years. If that's the case, the reduction in pain and suffering and in private and public medical expenses undoubtedly is substantial.
The report's positive message about cancer prevention, however, should not prompt individuals to start taking a regular dose of aspirin without consulting a health care provider. It would unwise, indeed, to assume that an aspirin a day automatically will provide protective benefits. The routine, in some instances, could do more harm than good.
That's because aspirin, despite its ready availability, is a powerful drug that holds the potential of serious risks as well-as life-enhancing properties. Gastrointestinal bleeding and kidney problems are the most dangerous problems, but there are others as well. Those risks must be weighed against the benefits of enhanced cancer protection on an individual basis. Even so, the possibility that long-term use of aspirin might reduce mortality from certain cancers is pleasing news.