Taking aspirin has been linked with a lower risk of death from prostate cancer, especially in men with disease, according to a new study from the US.

According to researchers, men who have been treated for prostate cancer, either with surgery or radiation, could benefit from taking aspirin regularly.

Previous studies have shown that aspirin may inhibit cancer growth and metastasis.

This most recent study looked at almost 6,000 men with prostate cancer, who had been treated with surgery or radiotherapy.

About 2,200 of the men involved (37%) were receiving anticoagulants (warfarin, clopidogrel, enoxaparin, and/or aspirin). The risk of death from prostate cancer was compared between those taking anticoagulants and those who were not.

The findings demonstrated that deaths over a period of 10 years from prostate cancer were significantly lower in the group taking anticoagulants, compared to those who were not - 3% versus 8%, respectively.

The risks of cancer recurrence and bone metastasis also were significantly lower. Further analysis suggested that this benefit was primarily derived from taking aspirin, as opposed to other types of anticoagulants.

The suggestion that aspirin, a frequently prescribed and relatively well-tolerated drug, may improve outcomes in prostate cancer is of particular interest as prostate cancer is a common non-skin cancer among men.

"The results from this study suggest that aspirin prevents the growth of tumor cells in prostate cancer, especially in high-risk prostate cancer, for which we do not have a very good treatment currently," said Dr. Kevin Choe, assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern, where the research was conducted.

"But we need to better understand the optimal use of aspirin before routinely recommending it to all prostate cancer patients."

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.