Major project launched to crack aspirin’s anti-cancer properties

Cancer Research UK has launched an international study involving UCL research to answer the final questions before aspirin could be recommended to reduce cancer risk. Studies have estimated that widespread use of low-dose aspirin could lead to a 10% drop in the number of people dying from some cancers, but for every 17 lives saved by preventing cancer or heart attacks there would be 2 deaths* caused by strokes, bleeding or ulcers. While research has shown that taking aspirin for 10 years would have benefits for most people between the ages of 50 and 70 years, there needs to be a way to identify those who are at a high risk of bleeding to enable it to be used more widely. To address this, Cancer Research UK's epidemiology expert Professor Jack Cuzick, based at Queen Mary University London, is leading an international collaboration of experts to find out who is likely to benefit most from the drug and who is at greater risk of bleeding side effects. The researchers will also investigate what the best dose is, how long to take it for and how aspirin works to reduce cancer risk. While the mechanism that aspirin uses to reduce pain is well known, little is known regarding how aspirin cuts cancer risk. The researchers hope to unravel this, which could lead to a new drug designed to have the same benefits of aspirin but without the side-effects.