Study: Daily aspirin use may reduce cancer-related deaths

LONDON — Daily aspirin use may curb cancer-related deaths, according to a new study published in The Lancet.

The study, led by Peter Rothwell of the University of Oxford and colleagues, analyzed data from eight eligible trials — which typically lasted about four years — and included more than 25,000 subjects. Among them, 674 died from cancer.

The researchers found that those who consumed 75 mg of aspirin per day cut their risk of dying from certain cancers by 20%, and found that the prolonged use of aspirin would continue to reduce the death risk of cancer patients. "These findings have implications for guidelines on use of aspirin and for understanding of carcinogenesis and its susceptibility to drug intervention," the study authors said.

But while these conclusions certainly are worth noting, only one-third of the subjects were women, and since the trials on average only lasted four years, the benefits of aspirin consumption may not be properly measured. Additionally, aspirin touts its own risks, including strokes and other complications.