Aspirin is known to provide a variety of health benefits
including pain relief, heart attack prevention, and possible prevention of
several forms of cancer including colon, breast, esophagus, stomach, prostate,
bladder, ovary and the deadliest form of skin cancer-melanoma. In the largest
study to date aimed to explore melanoma prevention, researchers at Stanford
University found a significant association
between frequent use of aspirin and melanoma, where aspirin users were less
likely to develop melanoma compared to those who did not take aspirin.
Results also showed that the longer individuals took
aspirin, the lower their risk of developing skin cancer. Melanoma is a less
frequently occurring form of skin cancer compared to other varieties, however
is it most fatal if not found early, accounting approximately 75% of all deaths
related to skin cancer. Inflammation plays a major role in the development of
cancer, and it is speculated that aspirin may prevent melanoma is through its
anti-inflammatory effects. There are several hypotheses regarding the action of
aspirin in melanoma prevention.
Scientists speculate that aspirin prevents cancer by
inhibiting the Cox-2 gene, which controls inflammation, while other
investigators hypothesize that aspirin reduce the incidence of cancer by
inhibiting platelets, which when activated release factors that encourage
cancer growth and development. While non-aspirin NSAIDs also reduce
inflammation, they don’t utilize the same pathways that aspirin uses for
activation in the body.
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