Taking aspirin in your 40s could cut the risk of cancer's developing later in life, according to research published today in the Lancet Oncology.
That's because taking aspirin at an age before cancer begins to develop — and for at least 10 years — would maximize the drug's potential to prevent cancer, Cancer Research UK scientists said after a detailed review of all available evidence.
Previous research suggests that people who take aspirin are less likely to develop colon cancer, breast cancer, 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 recommended now because 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 age 60. And the chances of aspirin causing bleeding in the abdomen are much higher in people over 60.
Professor Jack Cuzick from the Cancer Research UK Centre for Epidemiology at Queen Mary, University of London and lead author of the study, said: "Taking aspirin regularly in your mid 40s could maximize the effect this drug has on preventing cancer. Taking aspirin at this age, which is about the time pre-cancerous lesions usually begin to develop, may be the best time to stop the disease from progressing to actual cancer.
"And, as the risk of serious side effects of aspirin greatly increase after 60 years old, taking long-term treatment before this age will help to minimize these side effects."
"But many questions need to be answered before we would advise regular use of aspirin for cancer prevention," Cuzick said. "Future research and more clinical trials are needed to better identify those people who are at high risk of developing cancers and at low risk of side effects, who will benefit most from aspirin treatment."
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