Roychoudhuri’s research was conducted on mice, so we can’t be sure whether the results would also hold for humans. But intriguing research by Langley and her colleagues has shown that people who have had colorectal cancer or gastroesophageal cancer have much higher levels of thromboxane than healthy individuals – even up to six months after successful treatment, suggesting it may be a driver of metastases in humans, too.
A cure all?
Exactly who should be taking aspirin regularly, and when, remains a matter of debate. Some researchers believe that the combined benefits for cardiovascular disease and cancer should inspire wider uptake. Burn, who has taken aspirin as a preventative measure in the past, is optimistic about its potential for public health. “We did a big study where we showed that if every 50-something year-old took a baby aspirin for ten years, the national mortality from all causes would be reduced by 4%,” says Burn.
Most researchers argue that it should only be restricted to particular patients, however. “It’s one thing to give aspirin to a cancer population but it’s a totally different thing to offer the healthy population something that might harm them as well,” says Martling. That’s because aspirin can have serious adverse effects, and it isn’t likely to work for all people or all cancers.
If you’ve got Lynch Syndrome or you’ve been treated for bowel cancer, however, it may be worth enquiring whether a regular low dose might be beneficial. “Always speak to a doctor or other healthcare professional before starting aspirin,” Langley says.
As the research on aspirin keeps building, there may be surprises yet to come. But will the long history of aspirin extend another 4,000 years into the future? Perhaps our descendants will be using versions of the drug in ways we cannot even begin to imagine.
