Aspirin 'can double life expectancy in cancer patients', study says

Aspirin can double the life expectancy of patients with cancers affecting the gastrointestinal tract, a study has found.

Cancer patients who regularly take aspirin, were found to have a "significant survival benefit" compared with those who do not, in a major study analysing data from nearly 14,000 patients.

Researchers from the Netherlands found that over a typical follow-up period of four years, those using the drug after their diagnosis were twice as likely to still be alive as non-users.

Dr Martine Frouws from Leiden University, who coordinated the trial, says the findings would help medical professional identify patients who would benefit from the drug.

The most common tumour sites for patients in the study were the colon, rectum and oesophagus.

A new randomised controlled trial is currently investigating the effect of a daily low dose of 80 milligrams of aspirin on the survival of elderly patients with bowel cancer in the Netherlands.

It is hoped that this trial would further provide "convincing proof" that more patients can benefit from aspirin treatment.

Professor Peter Naredi, scientific co-chair of the Congress, said:

The findings were presented at the 2015 European Cancer Congress in Vienna.