text_1: Aspirin Helps in Reducing Cancer Deaths, a Study Finds
text_2: Compared to other stories we reviewed on a study ofthe potential benefits of aspirin for reducing cancer, this one presented an optimistic take on the potential benefits of daily aspirin and provided few caveats. Unlike the NPR Shots story, it failed to quantify the harms, and unlike the WebMD story, it failed to define the scope of cancer deaths. The study itself nicely states the reason cautious reporting on new cancer treatments matters. “In the developed world, the lifetime risk of cancer is about 40%, and rates are increasing in the developing world. In Europe, about 3.2 million new cancers present each year, with about 1·7 million deaths, and there are more than 1.5 million new cases each year in the USA. By contrast with treatment of cancer, there has been little progress in use of drugs in prevention of the disease.” Whether aspirin proves to be a preventative drug remains to be seen, and stories about aspirin for cancer prevention need to provide the right context for readers to know how to make important choices about their health.