Can drinking aspirin fight cancer? Clinical trial aims to find out

A more affordable and accessible solution to one of the world's most menacing diseases could possibly be on its way.

The stage is set for the world's largest clinical trial, which aims to prove once and for all if drinking aspirin daily can stop or delay common cancers from coming back.

Funded by Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the trial will last for 12 years and has recruited close to 11,000 patients suffering from early stages of bowel, breast, prostate, stomach, and oesophageal cancer from more than 100 health centers in the U.K., reports The Guardian.

Trial participants have been divided into two groups: the first group will be drinking either 100mg or 300mg doses of aspirin daily, while the second group will be drinking dummy or placebo tablets. Initial results will be evaluated after five years.

According to the BBC, aspirin's anti-cancer qualities have been under medical debate for years. If proven successful, experts hope the trial will put an end to all the speculation.

"There has been some interesting research suggesting that aspirin could delay or stop early-stage cancers coming back, but there has been no randomized trial to give clear proof. This trial aims to answer this question once and for all," said Dr. Ruth Langley, chief investigator at the Medical Research Council's clinical trials unit at University College London.

"If we find that aspirin does stop these cancers returning, it could change future treatment - providing a cheap and simple way to help stop cancer coming back and helping more people survive.

However, Langley advised patients not part of the trial to refrain from taking aspirin until results of the project have been disclosed, as continuous aspirin intake can trigger different reactions in different people. It can even lead to serious side effects such as ulcers and bleeding in the stomach and brain.

Professor Tom Walley, head of NIHR's health technology assessment program, believes that the trial "offers the exciting possibility of improved outcomes for patients with a simple, well-tolerated intervention".

Aside from relieving discomforts resulting from headaches, muscle aches, tooth aches, and the common cold, apirin is also prescribed as a heart medicine. The Mayo Clinic reports that drinking low-dose aspirin daily may lower the risk of a heart attack or stroke. All aspirin intake, however, must first be discussed with a trusted medical professional.