Aspirin cuts risk of skin cancer

A REGULAR dose of aspirin could slash the risk of developing certain skin cancers by up to 90 per cent, according to new research. Australian scientists found the wonder drug appears to protect against some of the most common tumours. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Academy Of Dermatology, add to the evidence that one of the world’s most successful remedies — used mainly to kill pain and thin the blood — can also fight a range of cancers. Previous studies showed women who use aspirin regularly can cut their risk of cancer of the breast and ovaries. Some researchers have found it even protects against bowel tumours. ‘We found that people who regularly used aspirin had a significantly lower risk of developing skin cancer than people who did not use them,’ said Dr David Whiteman of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research. The discovery came from a study of around 1,600 people living in southern Queensland. Doctors identified those who had developed a type of tumour called a squamous cell carcinoma. This is not as dangerous as the most feared skin cancer — malignant melanoma — but can be fatal. The Australian team’s results showed that, among those taking a 200mg dose of aspirin twice a week, the chances of having skin cancer were slashed by around 60 per cent. For patients who were on very high doses of aspirin — at least one a day every day for five years — the skin cancer risk plummeted by about 90 per cent. But Ed Yong, from Cancer Research UK, warns: ‘High does of aspirin could have other effects, such as bleeding from stomach ulcers, and the best way to prevent all types of skin cancer is to avoid excessive sun exposure.’