London: Taking Aspirin regularly may cut chances of getting bowel cancer by a quarter.
The amount required is only 75 mg, the dose taken by millions of heart attack survivors to prevent a repeat attack.
The study of 14,000 people is the first to assess the long-term effectiveness of aspirin against bowel cancer, with 20 years of follow-up, according to Daily Mail.
Taking the drug for five years provides protection for a much longer period, reports the journal The Lancet.
Aspirin blocks the effects of proteins that help trigger inflammation and are associated with a number of different types of cancer.
Peter Rothwell, a professor at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, who led the study, said the findings now tip the balance in favour of regular aspirin use.
Previous research has suggested that people taking aspirin were less likely to develop bowel, breast and possibly other cancers, including prostate.
IANS
