Aspirin: Cancer-Fighting Wonder Drug?

Posted on Dec 7, 2010

Flickr / .candy (CC-BY-SA)

Aspirin has been touted as a potential heart helper, and Tuesday, the British medical journal The Lancet released some evidence that the humble analgesic might also reduce the risk of dying from various forms of cancer, and by an impressive percentage in some cases.

Gizmodo helpfully broke it down for those who don’t want to read the Lancet study:

Gizmodo:

• After 5 years of daily aspirin, death due to gastrointestinal cancers decreased by 54%
• After 20 years, death due to prostate cancer decreased by 10%
• After 20 years, death due to lung cancer decreased by 30% (among those with adenocarcinomas, typically seen in nonsmokers)
• After 20 years, death due to colorectal cancer decreased by 40%
• After 20 years, death due to esophageal cancer decreased by 60%

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