Health

Aspirin cuts stomach cancer risk

by Paul Conneally | February 7, 2009 at 01:09 am

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Aspirin is derived from willow bark and has been used for thousands of years to treat pain and inflammation. It's now used to help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke and this latest report show that it can also help in cutting the risk of stomach cancer.

Although it might offer hope in cutting stomach cancer risk its use over a long time also can cause stomach bleeding and so at this moment its use will not be recommended as a protective against cancer but those using small amounts to combat heart disease and stroke may also get cancer portection.

A study has suggested using aspirin could cut the risk of developing a type of stomach cancer by up to a third.

The British Journal of Cancer study looked at over 300,000 people.

It found those who had taken aspirin in the previous year were far less likely to develop cancer of the middle or lower stomach.

Taking aspirin regularly is known to cut the risk of bowel cancer, but can have side effects, including causing bleeds within the abdomen.

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harringtola

at 07:36 on February 7th, 2009

Great news. I do know from personal experience, through my grandmother who came close to death from what was diagnosed as a bleeding ulcer, that aspirin can be dangerous in large doses overtime. She had severe arthritis and used the coated types but still eventually ended up with severe bleeding. I take low dose with calcium as my only supplement.