A recent study revealed that taking aspirin is not a quick or guaranteed way to prevent bowel cancer. Rather, it may increase the risk of severe bleeding outside the brain associated with stroke, especially in people with average risk.
Aspirin and cancer
A research team from the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, analyzing data from 124,837 participants, evaluated aspirin’s ability to prevent bowel cancer or pre-cancerous polyps, and the review published in the Cochrane database concluded that aspirin is unlikely to reduce the risk of infection during the first five to fifteen years of use, according to the Daily Mail.
“Although the idea of long-term prophylaxis with aspirin seems attractive, our analysis shows that this benefit is not guaranteed, while it carries immediate risks,” said Dr. Zhaolun Cai, the study’s lead author.
The results showed that daily use of aspirin may increase the risk of severe bleeding outside the brain, which may lead to hemorrhagic stroke. This risk occurs even at low doses, but is higher in the elderly or those with a history of ulcers or bleeding disorders.
Dr. Bo Zhang, one of the study’s authors, warned against unrealistic expectations: “My biggest fear is that people think that taking aspirin today will protect them from cancer tomorrow. Any potential effect would take a decade, while the bleeding risk begins immediately.”
The study confirmed that previous evidence showed potential benefits for people with a genetic predisposition to colorectal cancer, such as those with Lynch syndrome, but for people with average risk, the long-term benefit remains uncertain.
The potential effect of aspirin in prevention is due to its ability to inhibit the prostaglandin hormone responsible for pain and inflammation signals, while a Swedish study showed that taking low doses daily after removing the tumor may reduce the risk of cancer recurrence by 50% within three years, but this does not prove its effectiveness in primary prevention.
The researchers called on patients not to start using aspirin to prevent cancer without consulting a doctor to evaluate the individual risk of bleeding, stressing that balancing the benefits and harms remains complex, and the decision cannot be decided by yes or no.
