A preliminary study suggests that regular use of aspirin reduces the risk of a common form of lung cancer in women.

Researchers at New York University studied 81 women with non-small cell lung cancer and compared them with 808 healthy women for aspirin use. This showed that using aspirin three or more times a week produced a substantial reduction in lung cancer risk.

It's not clear just how aspirin might protect from cancer. But studies in animals suggest that reduction of chronic inflammation may play a role. The researchers caution that women shouldn't start taking regular aspirin on the basis of this one study. Aspirin can cause severe gastro-intestinal side effects and, in some people, the harm could outdo the potential benefits. More research is needed to assess just how aspirin might be used to prevent lung cancer.

Source

British Journal of Cancer June 2002