Aspirin’s anti-inflammatory properties may lower melanoma risk
A new analysis has determined that the anti-inflammatory properties of aspirin may help protect against melanoma.
Jean Tang, MD, PhD, Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California, and colleagues analyzed available data from 59,806 Caucasian women between the ages of 50 and 79 years who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative. The analysis showed that during the 12 years of follow-up, women who used aspirin had a 21% lower risk of melanoma compared with women not did not. As duration of aspirin use incrementally increased (less than 1 year, 1-4 years, and 5 or more years), risk of melanoma decreased by 11%. Therefore, when compared with non-users, women who took aspirin for 5 or more years had a 30% lower melanoma risk. For the study, differences in pigmentation, tanning practices, sunscreen use, and other factors that may affect skin cancer risk were controlled.
The study is published early online in Cancer.
Source: Wiley.