This is a bit of a long one, but we felt it was important to get it all down in one place… particularly as this is a topic that pops up frequently in the news. As ever, we’re keen for your feedback – so let us know if you think it’s too long…
In recent years, there have been frequent reports that our old friend aspirin, the over-the-counter painkiller and anti-coagulant, appears to be able to prevent cancer.
The most recent one was in April, when there was widespread coverage of research looking at breast cancer rates amongst women who regularly took so-called ‘non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs’ – NSAIDs – the class of drugs to which aspirin belongs.
This research made the news because it suggested that aspirin might prevent the formation of a common type of breast cancer – ‘oestrogen-positive’ breast cancer.
In fact there’s quite a lot of evidence building up now that NSAIDs might indeed play a role in stopping, or at least slowing down, the development of cancer – at least under certain circumstances. But does this mean that doctors will one day be able to prescribe a simple pill to reduce your risk of cancer, like they do for people at risk of heart disease?
As usual, it’s a not quite that simple, so let’s have a look at what the science actually shows.
Posted by Henry Scowcroft 
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