We already know some of the amazing health benefits aspirin provides, like aiding in heart attack and stroke prevention, reduction of colorectal cancer risk, along with treating pain, headaches, and fevers. Aspirin use has also been correlated with reduction of risk in prostate, breast, bladder, ovarian, prostate, and esophageal cancer. A new, and notably large, study is adding melanoma to that long list.
59,806 women were studied over a period of 12 years by researchers at Stanford. These women ranged in age from 50-79 and were all Caucasian. This is because fair-skinned people are at the highest risk of developing melanoma. These women reported to the researchers yearly with any lifestyle changes. For example, the researchers tracked what they ate, their amount of time in the sun, and what medications they took. 548 women developed melanoma during the 12 year study. Various elements were then taken into consideration beside just the amount of time spent in the sun, like their skin cancer histories, if they smoked, and also what they did to protect themselves from UV exposure. After examining the above, those women who took aspirin were found to have a 21% lower risk of developing melanoma compared to women who did not take aspirin at all. Women who took it for 5 years or more had a 30% lower risk!
Dr. Jean Y. Tang, the senior author of the study, mentioned that a clinical trial would need to be done after his observational study to find out if correlation means that there is a causal relationship. There are also many skeptics who see the risk with taking aspirin a few times a week. I should also point out that the study specifies aspirin, not ibuprofen and other NSAID painkillers. In very rare and severe cases, the medication can cause fatal stomach bleeding, and is also a blood thinner which means clotting could take longer. Aspirin can also interact with other drugs.
It’s best to talk to your healthcare provider before starting an aspirin regimen, especially because it is not yet recommended to take aspirin purely for melanoma prevention. With all of the great benefits aspirin provides, there are equal risks and side effects. Aspirin is definitely not the best way to prevent melanoma- protecting yourself from UV radiation is! Melanoma can occur at any age, and it’s so important to know your body and the ABCDEs.
