According to a new study by Oxford University researchers, a daily dose of aspirin can prevent bowel cancer developing.

While it is generally thought that long-term use of aspirin can lead to stomach problems, the Oxford University experts said that the aspirin would compensate though its benefits for those at high-risk of cancer.

Their study, published in the medical journal The Lancet, showed that a daily dose of 300mg for five years protected participants from developing bowel cancer.

It also reviewed data from previous research of more than 7,500 people. These were two comprehensive UK trials conducted during the late 1970s and 1980s. More than 7,500 people took, over a period of 5 to 7 years, daily doses of aspirin: 300, 500 or 1,200mg.

The participants were subsequently monitored over the following 20 years. Their findings: a daily dose of 300mg of aspirin for 5 years reduced the rate of bowel cancer by 74% in the following 10 to 15 years.

The protective effect of aspirin was present regardless of patients’ age, sex, race or country of origin.

The study was accompanied by a review of 30 observational studies that suggested that medium-to-high doses of aspirin, taken on a daily basis for 10 years or more, likewise reduced the risk of developing bowel cancer, this time by 50%-70%.

Addressing the issue of side effects caused by prolonged use of aspirin (such as stomach problems), lead author Peter Rothwell said: “What we are saying is that for a subgroup of people at high risk of bowel cancer, they probably aren't going to be dramatically harmed by taking aspirin.”

He added: “They may have some risk of bleeding in the stomach, but they will see potentially significant benefits in the reduction of their colon cancer risk.”

This doesn’t mean that people should start taking high doses of aspirin each day, the researchers noted.

Previous research has found that aspirin can prevent against heart attack or stroke for people at risk.