Daily aspirin intake could lower the risk of cancer in overweight people

Overweight people who frequently take aspirin at night lowers their risk of getting cancer, according to a new research. 

British researchers assessed the effects of aspirin during a 10-year study of 937 participants with Lynch syndrome – a type of inherited cancer associated with a genetic predisposition to different cancer types. To put it simply, people with Lynch syndrome have a higher risk of getting cancer, especially colon and womb cancer. 

Scientists from 16 countries were involved in the research. They discovered that overweight people were twice the risk of developing colon cancer. But, the risk could be reversed if these patients were administered a regular dose of aspirin.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and was funded by the Cancer Research UK, UK Medical Research Council, Bayer Pharma and the European Union.

"This is important for people with Lynch Syndrome but affects the rest of us too," says study author Sir John Burn, a professor of clinical genetics at Newcastle University in the UK. 

“Obesity increases the inflammatory response. One explanation for our findings is that the aspirin may be suppressing that inflammation which opens up new avenues of research into the cause of cancer,” he explained.”

The study showed that the benefits of aspirin seemed to occur before the earliest stages of developing tumor. They believe that this is due to the fact that aspirin may affect cells that are predisposed to becoming cancerous over time. [Read more Pancreatic cancer: The hidden danger that lurks deep in the abdomen]

"We may be seeing a mechanism in humans whereby aspirin is encouraging genetically damaged stem cells to undergo programmed cell death," Prof. Burn suggested. "This would have an impact on cancer."

The scientists examined the progress of participants with Lynch syndrome who were randomly assigned to either take two aspirins (600 mg) a day for 2 years or a placebo.

When the participants were followed up 10 years later, it showed that a total of 55 had developed bowel cancer. They found that overweight people were more likely, in fact 2.75 times more likely to develop cancer than those who were of normal weight. [Read more Regular coffee drinking may cut your liver cancer risk by half]

“Our study suggests that the daily aspirin dose of 600 mg per day removed the majority of the increased risk associated with higher BMI (body mass index),” explained professor Tim Bishop from the University of Leeds and the leader on the statistics for the study.

The researchers however cautioned that before anyone decides to take aspirin on a daily basis, they should consult their doctor first; Aspirin is known to cause ulcers and other stomach complications.