Aspirin, a 4,000-year-old drug most commonly used to treat pain, can reduce the risk of cancer by preventing tumours from forming and spreading across the body. The findings are already changing health policies. British furniture maker Nick James, who has been on aspirin for 10 years without developing cancer, became the first person to sign up for a clinical trial to test whether a daily dose of aspirin could protect against developing cancer. The study was led by John Burn, a professor of clinical genetics at Newcastle University, who led the trial. There have been indications that aspirin might reduce the chances of colorectal cancer spreading, or even occurring in the first place. However, the drug's blood-thinning effects can also prevent cardiovascular disease, reducing the risk by making the blood thinner and the blood platelets less sticky. It can take a long time to conduct a randomised controlled trial to find out if aspirin can prevent cancer, which can take many decades for the first time.