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Acetylsalicylic acid can be used as a cancer preventive agent
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid is a classic medicine that can probably be found in every person’s medicine cabinet, used to treat many diseases. Most often, it is used as an anti-inflammatory or antipyretic drug. Recent studies have shown that aspirin can prevent the occurrence of bowel cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and even protects women from the development of melanoma.
Melanoma is one of the most dangerous oncological diseases, which is a malignant tumor that occurs mainly in the cells of the skin, retina or mucous membrane. Melanoma can most often metastasize to almost all important human organs.
For 12 years, scientists from Stanford University (USA) studied the occurrence and development of melanoma in adult women living in the USA. Women with white skin aged 25 years and older took part in this experiment. For the entire duration of the study, scientists analyzed statistical data on 50,000 women, which allows us to consider the study quite large-scale.
During the analysis of the data obtained, the specialists found that regular use of aspirin (about twice a week) reduced the likelihood of malignant cancerous tumors in skin cells by 20-22%. More than 15,000 women, out of 50,000 surveyed, took aspirin several times a week to relieve headaches or reduce high body temperature. Only 115 women taking aspirin suffered from skin cancer. For comparison, out of 35,000 women who did not use aspirin, about 340 people developed skin cancer.
After receiving the data, doctors became interested in the effect that aspirin can have on the human body. One of the most popular versions is that aspirin, which has an anti-inflammatory effect, is able to stop inflammatory processes in the skin during tumor growth.
Melanoma is one of the most dangerous malignant tumors known to medicine today. The leading risk factor for the development of melanoma is considered to be ultraviolet radiation, both natural (bright sunlight) and artificial (solariums, which are popular today). Fair-skinned and fair-haired people with blue or gray eyes are most prone to the development of malignant tumors on the skin. Sunburns, even at an early age, can be considered by doctors as a factor predisposing to the formation of melanomas on the skin or mucous membrane of the eyes. In this regard, doctors strongly recommend using protective skin products and sunglasses. Such precautions can protect the body from the negative effects of sunlight, which can lead to the formation of a malignant tumor. Doctors also recommend limiting visits to the solarium and be sure to use protective skin products before the session.
[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14]