Research links early aspirin use to cancer prevention

People taking aspirin in their 40s could cut their risk of developing cancer later in life, according to research published in the Lancet  Oncology.

Previous research suggests that people who take aspirin are less likely  to develop bowel, breast and possibly some other types of cancer.  Aspirin blocks the effects of the COX enzymes, proteins involved in  inflammation and found at unusually high levels in several types of  cancer, but regular use of the anti-inflammatory drug specifically for  cancer prevention is not currently recommended as it has been linked to  a number of side effects, including gastrointestinal bleeding and  stomach ulcers. Common cancers, such as prostate, breast, lung and  bowel, tend to develop after the age of 60. And the chances of aspirin  causing bleeding in the abdomen are much higher in people over that age.  The researchers also found that taking aspirin in combination with  proton pump inhibitors could help to lower the risk of stomach bleeding.  The AspECT trial is currently investigating the use of proton pump  inhibitors and aspirin in patients with Barrett's esophagus  - a  pre-cancerous condition that can develop into gullet cancer.