Aspirin helps prevent skin cancer

Tuesday March 12th, 2013

Women who take regular doses of aspirin seem to enjoy some protection against skin cancer, researchers revealed yesterday.

A woman who takes aspirin for a year can cut her risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, by 11%, researchers said.

And having taken it for four years, cuts the risk by 22%, they found.

The researchers believe aspirin may help by reducing inflammation of the skin and damage caused by exposure to the sun and ultraviolet light.

The findings, reported in the journal Cancer, come from a study of nearly 60,000 American women over the age of 50, studied for 12 years.

The researchers found no link between other pain-killers, such as paracetamol, known as acetaminophen in the USA, and cancer prevention.

Researcher Dr Jean Tang, of Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, USA, said: "Aspirin works by reducing inflammation and this may be why using aspirin may lower your risk of developing melanoma."

She said doctors should consider establishing a proper trial to see if aspirin could help prevent cancer.

Aspirin is associated with lower melanoma risk among postmenopausal Caucasian women: the Women’s Health Initiative. Cancer 11 March 2013; doi: 10.1002/cncr.27817 [abstract]

Tags: Cancer | Dermatology | North America | Pharmaceuticals | Women's Health & Gynaecology

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