Skin Cancer Risk Lowered in Women With Prolonged Intake of Aspirin

Taking aspirin for a prolonged period could drastically reduce the risk of skin cancer n women, suggests a study recently published in the journal, Cancer.

Dr Jean Tang, of Stanford University School of Medicine in California along with her team followed up the medical history of 59,806 Caucasian women aged between 50 and 79, enrolled in the study, for 12 years.

Researchers took a note of aspirin intake and lifestyle of the women involved in the study. They also took into consideration the factors affecting the risk of melanoma like skin pigmentation, sunscreen usage and exposure to sun.

The analysis revealed that in general, women who take aspirin reduced their risk of skin cancer by 21% and the risk was further reduced by 30% in women who used the painkiller for five or more years.

It is estimated that in 2013 alone in US there could be 9,480 deaths due to melanoma. Hence, the authors opine that with further large scales studies, more lives could be saved from the deadly skin cancer melanoma.

Source: Medindia