An aspirin a day can keep cancer away, claims new study

Scientists say hundreds of thousands of deaths could be prevented by a small daily dose of aspirin

Generic aspirin lie inside a bottle
(Image credit: Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

An examination of 200 medical studies has found that a daily aspirin could reduce the chances of developing bowel and stomach cancers.

Scientists predict that more than 120,000 deaths could be prevented over the next 20 years if everyone in the UK aged between 50 and 64 took a small dose of the drug every day for ten years. However, this is balanced with an estimated 18,000 deaths from the drug's side-effects, such as internal bleeding.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us