Aspirin: Wonder Drug for Cancer?

Aspirin is one of the oldest known medicines, first used by the ancient Greeks, who used a naturally occurring form of it to treat pain and fever, News Max Health reminds.

But the latest modern-day scientific research is also finding that standby headache remedy is proving to be something of a wonder drug that can help prevent heart attacks and even certain types of cancer.

The latest research has found that taking a low-dose aspirin for more than 10 years may lower the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by up to 60 percent. The study, by Yale University researchers, also found that even taking a daily aspirin for just three years lowered the chances of developing the deadly cancer by nearly half.

Nieca Goldberg, M.D., a cardiologist with New York University Langone Medical Center, noted that it’s too early to recommend that everybody take an aspirin as a way to boost health — “not yet,” she says, explaining that more research needs to confirm the safety and effectiveness of daily aspirin use to prevent cancer.

She adds that aspirin is not for everyone. It can cause stomach bleeding, intestinal irritation and pose a risk for folks on blood thinners.

But for many people, particularly those with family history of pancreatic and colorectal cancer, aspirin could well prove to be a life saver.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of the disease, striking more than 45,000 Americans each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Because the pancreas lies hidden in the back of the abdomen, tumors of the organ often spread beyond the initial site before they is caught, making it difficult to diagnose early and treat. The disease has few early warning signs and eight in 10 people diagnosed with it die within a year, while about 94 percent die within 5 years, according to the American Cancer Society.

Experts recommend seeing a doctor if you experience abdominal or back pain, unexplained weight loss, digestive problems, light-colored stools, or jaundice — all potential symptoms of pancreatic cancer. This is especially important if at least two close relatives have been diagnosed with pancreatic, breast, colon, or ovarian cancer, which scientists believe may share common genetic origins.

Aspirin has long been taken by heart patients, with many studies showing it can prevent stroke and heart attacks.

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