Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSAspirin 'cuts prostate cancer risk'
A regular dose of aspirin can cut the risk of prostate cancer by almost a third, a report has claimed.
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US researchers writing in the American Journal of Epidemiology found a 29% reduced chance of being diagnosed among men who took a low-strength dose of the medication every day. Long-term use was associated with a 24% decline.
While some scientists believe the results support the theory that inflammation plays an important role in the disease, other anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen had no effect.
Study leader Dr Janet Stanford, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, said:
“The significant inverse association between prostate cancer risk and use of aspirin that we observed provides additional support for the role of inflammation in the development of this cancer.
“Aspirin is a widely used and inexpensive medication, and the potential public health implications of an effective chemopreventive agent for prostate cancer are considerable.”
Around 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in the UK. Some 10,000 are killed by the disease.
Click here to view the article in the American Journal of Epidemiology
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