More re Aspirin
Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW, OSW-C Program Manager, Oncology Social Work
APRIL 19, 2017
Aspirin continues to be a wonder drug. It is less exciting than many others, surely does not receive the kind of praise, inspire exciting medical articles, or command the high prices of lots of other medications. However, the evidence continues to roll in that it can be valuable in many ways to many people.
Once again a study suggests that daily low-dose aspirin can lower the risk of cancer death from several kinds of the disease. There have been suggestions that it can lower the risk of getting cancer in the first place, and we know about the benefits for cardio-vascular illnesses.
There are some risks, and some people should not swallow a morning aspirin. Talk with your doctor, and read this article from HealthDay:
Can Daily Low-Dose Aspirin Lower Cancer Death Risk?
MONDAY, April 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of Americans take low-dose aspirin every day for heart health. In doing so, they may also slightly lower their risk of dying from several cancers, a large new study suggests.
Researchers found that among more than 130,000 U.S. adults, those who regularly used aspirin were 7 percent to 11 percent less likely to die of cancer over the next few decades.
The risks of dying from colon, breast, prostate and -- for men -- lung cancer were all lower among regular aspirin users, compared to non-users, the findings showed.
The findings add to evidence that aspirin has cancer-fighting abilities, the researchers said. But they also stressed that people should not start popping a daily aspirin in the hopes of avoiding cancer.
There is strong evidence, from research in general, that low-dose aspirin may lower the risk of colon cancer, said Dr. Ernest Hawk, a professor at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) already recommends that certain older adults consider taking low-dose aspirin to curb their risk of colon cancer -- as well as heart disease.