Aug. 8, 014 /BIOVALLEY BIOON/ – A new study suggests that taking aspirin daily may reduce the chance of developing colon, stomach or esophageal cancer, as well as lower the chance of death from related cancers. In a review of existing studies, researchers found that the benefits of aspirin for cancer prevention outweigh the risks of the drug itself. Thousands of people already take the inexpensive drug to prevent or treat heart disease. Our conclusion comes from the fact that most people between the ages of 50 and 65 would benefit from taking aspirin every day, Jack Cuzick said. This appears to reduce the risk of cancer if everyone took aspirin every day. Taking aspirin for 10 years reduces the risk of cancer Taking aspirin for 10 years reduces the risk of colon cancer by about 35 percent and the risk of dying from colon cancer by 40 percent. Daily aspirin use also reduces the risk of esophageal and stomach cancer by 30% and the risk of dying from these cancers by 35% to 50%. But there is a lack of randomized clinical trials to confirm the cancer-preventing effects of aspirin Dr. Leonard Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said the study failed to reach the conclusion that aspirin is recommended for everyone to take to prevent cancer. Lichtenfeld noted, however, that the evidence for aspirin’s cancer-prevention benefits is incidental. These are not the results of randomized trials, which would provide us with the best quality evidence to answer this question, but there are no studies comparing the effects of taking aspirin versus not taking aspirin on cancer. While this report does not prove that aspirin prevents cancer, they do provide strong evidence that it is possible. However, there are risks associated with taking aspirin. Gastrointestinal bleeding is the most serious side effect associated with aspirin, and while some people can be at risk for stomach bleeding, it is rare. The risk of gastric bleeding increases by about 3.6 percent in people aged 60 years who take aspirin daily for 10 years. Although bleeding is life-threatening in less than 5 percent of cases, the researchers noted: But the risk of serious bleeding increases sharply in people over age 70, Cuzick suggested: People over 70 do not need to start taking aspirin to prevent cancer, due to the sharply increased risk of serious bleeding. What dose of aspirin provides the greatest degree of protection in terms of cancer prevention benefits remains unknown There is evidence that low-dose aspirin (75 mg) is as effective as a standard 300 mg dose, but there has been no direct comparison. Therefore, one should take the low dose, but studies should also analyze whether the standard dose is more effective. Cuzick said the protective effects of aspirin don’t seem to play out until it’s been taken for at least five years, and possibly 10 years. There is no benefit between the first three years, and it’s unclear whether greater benefit will be gained if aspirin is taken for more than 10 years. Lichtenfeld warns that taking aspirin daily should not be seen as a reason to ignore cancer screening, which still has an important impact on reducing the incidence of colon cancer. Potential mechanisms for aspirin’s cancer protection As to why aspirin has a protective effect, Cuzick can only speculate. It is understood that aspirin interferes with blood clotting by lowering platelets in the blood. Platelets are thought to help cancer cells metastasize, so limiting platelets may make it harder for cancer cells to spread. Another theory is that aspirin stops cell division, which reduces the chance of cell mutation when cells divide, Cuzick explains: This makes it less likely that mutations that can cause cancer will occur.