Analysis and
Health
Taking aspirin was first linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer in 1988, but the research into its anti-tumour potential has been full of twists and turns since then
By Fiona Macrae
Aspirin’s health-boosting potential could extend beyond easing pain and preventing heart disease
David Burton / Alamy
Imagine if a cheap, accessible and relatively safe pill could prevent cancer in those who have never had it and stop it from returning among those in remission. The idea that aspirin is such a “wonder drug” is the subject of intense research, but the picture is muddled.
The notion that aspirin could have anti-cancer properties dates back decades. In 1988, researchers in Australia linked the painkiller to a lower risk of colorectal, or bowel, cancer. More than 100 of these observational studies…
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