Cancer patients who take regular aspirin on top of their standard treatment are a fifth less likely to die from the disease, a major review has found.
The findings come after a top British scientist conducted a systematic review of 118 observational studies covering patients with 18 different cancers.
Professor Peter Elwood, who has studied the effects of aspirin for more than 50 years, found that the 250,000 patients with cancer who reported taking aspirin were linked with a 20% lower chance of dying.
He is now calling for patients to be informed that the evidence justifies taking the cheap pill as a supplementary treatment.
Prof Elwood, of Cardiff University, said: “Overall, we found that at any time after a diagnosis of cancer, about 20% more of the patients who took aspirin were alive, compared with patients not taking aspirin.”
He added: “Our research suggests that not only does aspirin help to cut risk of death, but it has also been shown to reduce the spread of cancer within the body - so-called metastatic spread.
“There is now a considerable body of evidence to suggest a significant reduction in mortality in patients with cancer who take aspirin - and that benefit appears to not be restricted to one or a few cancers.
“Aspirin therefore appears to deserve serious consideration as an adjuvant treatment of cancer and patients with cancer and their carers should be informed of the available evidence.
“However, we must also stress that aspirin is not a possible alternative to any other treatment.”
Landmark research by Prof Elwood in 1974 was the first to show that taking daily aspirin reduced deaths from heart disease and stroke by about 24%.
The report gained global traction in 1990 and was judged by the British Medical Journal to have been one of the top 50 most important research studies published since the Second World War.
What do you think about Professor Elwood's research? Join the debate below
His latest study, published in the journal eCancermedicalscience, included patients with colon, breast and prostate cancers.
The research notes that there are risks to taking aspirin, such as stomach and bleeding problems.
It concluded a small number of patients had experienced a bleed, but there was no evidence of any excess deaths due to this.
Prof Elwood said there are currently more than 1,000 clinical trials on aspirin reported each year and results from these studies may offer further clear evidence on the effects of the medicine on cancer.
He said: “Further research into aspirin and cancer would clearly be of great value, and new studies should be encouraged, especially if focused on some of the less common cancers.”
