Aspirin Found to Reduce Melanoma Risk

A study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health has revealed that postmenopausal women who used aspirin regularly had a reduced risk of developing melanoma. Those who had been taking aspirin for less than a year had about an 11 percent reduction, those who had been taking aspirin regularly for one to four years had a 20 percent reduction, and those taking it for five years or longer were 30 percent less likely to develop melanoma than non-users. However, it is important to note that regular users of acetaminophen had the same melanoma incidence as non-users, and three-quarters of aspirin users were on regular or extra-strength doses. No conclusions could be drawn as to whether low-dose aspirin has the same chemopreventive effects. It looks as though an aspirin a day may help keep skin cancer away.