London - Aspirin almost doubles the survival chances of many cancer sufferers.
A study has found that 75 percent of patients taking a daily dose were still alive five years after being diagnosed with bowel, stomach, pancreatic and throat cancer.
But the survival rate for those not on aspirin was just 42 percent. Experts say the drug is a “magic bullet” that should now be prescribed as soon as cancer is diagnosed.
The findings back up numerous studies showing aspirin helps keep prostate, breast and lung cancer sufferers alive.
Costing barely 2p a day, it is thought to work by reducing the number of blood clots that tumours can hide in.
Martine Frouws, who led the Dutch research involving 14 000 adults, said: “Given that aspirin is a cheap, unbranded drug with relatively few side-effects, this will have a great impact on healthcare systems as well as patients.”
She pointed out that it would be much less expensive than the personalised treatments now being advocated by medical researchers.
Patients in the study were generally taking 80-100mg pills which prescribed to prevent heart attacks. Forty-three percent had cancer of the colon, 25 percent of the rectum and 10 percent of the oesophagus. The remainder had cancers of the stomach, pancreas and bile duct.
The research by the Leiden University medical centre will be presented at the European Cancer Congress in Vienna. Professor Nadir Arber, who is the congress’s spokesperson, said: “Aspirin may serve as the magic bullet because it can target and prevent ischaemic heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, the three major health catastrophes in the third millennium.”
But Dr Áine McCarthy, of Cancer Research UK, warned of the dangers. She said: “Even though aspirin is widely available, it can have serious side effects like internal bleeding, so cancer patients shouldn’t take it without talking to their doctor first.”
Last week American researchers announced they were recruiting 3 000 women to test whether aspirin stops breast cancer returning. The team from Boston believe the pill could increase survival chances by up to 50 percent. A highly effective painkiller, aspirin works by reducing levels of prostaglandins, which cause discomfort, fever and swelling.
The drug is also prescribed by doctors to prevent heart attacks and stops particles called platelets in the blood clumping together to form clots. A number of larger studies are taking place around the world testing the benefits of aspirin on cancer.
Dr Frouws said until the results came back it would not be safe for patients to take aspirin to treat or prevent the disease.
* The congress will also be told that a two-in-one “wonder drug” has produced remarkable results in patients with the most deadly type of skin cancer.
Men and women in the late stages of malignant melanoma lived almost eight months longer when given dabrafenib with trametinib compared to a leading drug. It is the best result yet seen in trials.
Daily Mail