Around 35 to 40 people are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer every year in Croydon.

In the UK there are more than 7,000 cases of the disease, which Dr Michael Mendell describes as a "rapidly growing problem".

Dr Mendell, a consultant gastroenterologist at the Thornton Heath hospital, is leading a team of doctors in a five-year, nationwide trial to see if aspirin could prevent it.

He said: "The pattern of digestive diseases has been changing over the past 40 or 50 years. Years ago, gastric cancer was the most common form of the disease but now it's almost disappeared.

"Cancer of the lower oesophagus is increasing at quite a rapid rate and we don't know why."

While the risk of developing oesophageal cancer is still quite small, those with a condition known as Barrett's oesophagus may be 50 times more likely to suffer from it.

Therefore, doctors in the trial are using aspirin - together with an anti-ulcer drug - to try to prevent Barrett's from developing into oesophageal cancer.

"This is a big, nationwide study to see how we can prevent the disease. We're using aspirin because it works in everything else," Dr Mendell said.

He explained how most of the common cancers relate to inflammation for which aspirin has proven to be affective.

"It's a major, major drug," he added, "In a lot of cancers, inflammation promotes development so this is why we have this interest in aspirin."

About 300 people in Croydon will be taking part in the experiment - one of the largest cancer prevention trials in the world.

"We have a very large population for a district general hospital and apart from the Royal Marsden we are the biggest centre for these trials in south west London," Dr Mendell said, "The key aim for us is really knowing what to do with this condition. We diagnose people with Barrett's oesophagus at the moment and tell them they have a small but increased risk of developing oesophageal cancer but we don't know what we should be doing for them. This trial really will tell us."

Cases of oesophageal cancer are high in the UK compared to the rest of the western world, at three to four times the level seen in Europe or the US.

Should the Mayday aspirin trial work, it would prove a great breakthrough.

Praising the humble drug, Dr Mendell said: "Aspirin's great. Heart patients use it and stroke patients use it. It's almost as if modern, civilised life has led to an imbalance that has had to be addressed by aspirin."

The drug was first written about by Greek physician Hippocrates who in 5th century BC, described a bitter powder extracted from willow bark that could ease aches and pains and reduce fevers.

"In my opinion God gave us our two best drugs, aspirin and morphine," said Dr Mendell.