Regular aspirin intake halves hereditary cancer risk, scientists conclude

Scientists, including those from Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, have discovered that taking regular aspirin halves the risk of developing hereditary cancers. The research was published in the Lancet Online on October 28.

Hereditary cancers are those which develop as a result of a gene fault inherited from a parent. Bowel and womb cancers are the most common forms of hereditary cancers. Around 50,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with bowel and womb cancers every year; 10 per cent of these cancers are thought to be hereditary.

The decade-long study, which involved scientists and clinicians from 43 centers in 16 countries and was funded by Cancer Research UK, followed nearly 1,000 patients, in some cases for over 10 years. The study found that those who had been taking a regular dose of aspirin had 50% fewer incidences of hereditary cancer compared with those who were not taking aspirin.