We all know that taking an aspirin a day to prevent heart disease has been recommended for yeatrs.
Now many more are weighing the pros and cons of daily aspirin use in light of new studies finding that it also may reduce the risk of many cancers and stop the spread of tumors.
Studies by researchers at Oxford, published last week in the Lancet, found that after just three years of daily aspirin use, the risk of developing cancer was reduced by almost 25 percent when compared with a control group not taking aspirin.
Over 6 1/2 years on average, daily aspirin reduced the risk of metastatic cancer by 36 percent and the risk of adenocarcinomas - common solid cancers including colon and prostate cancer - by 46 percent.
On the negative side, widespread use of aspirin could increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, ulcers and hemorrhagic strokes that can be fatal. Aspirin may be a household staple, but it is also a potentially toxic drug, said Dr. Khosrow Kashfi, an associate medical professor at the City College of New York, who is working to develop a safer but more potent form of aspirin.
Experts urged patients to seek individualized guidance from a physician to assess personal risks and benefits.
