Aspirin: From Prevention to Cure?

Aspirin has drawn a lot of interest from the medical research community and with good reason. Studies show that regular aspirin use reduces risk of heart attacks, stroke, and some types of cancer, including cancers of the colon.

A new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that aspirin may have a role beyond colon cancer prevention, offering benefit to those already diagnosed with the disease too. For the study, researchers followed 1,279 people diagnosed with colorectal cancer for about 12 years and found that compared with aspirin nonusers, people regularly taking aspirin had:

• 29% lower risk of dying of colorectal cancer
• 21% lower risk of dying of any cause

The researchers also looked at specific characteristics, or traits, of the cancer cells in each colorectal tumor in a subset of 459 study participants. In this group, among people whose tumors overexpressed (produced a lot of) an enzyme called cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), regular aspirin use reduced risk of dying of colon cancer by 61%. In the participants whose tumors did not overexpress COX-2, the aspirin did not reduce the risk of dying of colorectal cancer.

To summarize, taking aspirin regularly after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer seems to reduce risk of death due to any cause and death due to colorectal cancer. Aspirin is most beneficial for people whose tumors produce a lot of an enzyme called COX-2.

Is Aspirin For You?

Adding aspirin to your colon cancer treatment regimen may be tempting, but you should talk to your doctor first, before you begin taking aspirin. The benefits of aspirin don't come without risks:

• Some people have allergies to aspirin and can't take it under any circumstances. If a person with aspirin allergies takes this medication, he or she can have a life-threatening reaction to it.
• Many people can't tolerate aspirin's side effects, including damage to the lining of the stomach. In people who have the most trouble with this side effect, regularly taking aspirin can cause life-threatening bleeding in the stomach and other areas of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Another side effect of aspirin is that it can thin the blood. Some cancer medications cause blood-thinning as well. If taken together, this can result in blood that will not clot properly, which can be life threatening.

• Some cancer treatments cause low levels of platelets in the body. Platelets are important for blood clotting. If the blood is not clotting properly due to low platelets, and aspirin, which causes blood thinning, is added to the mix, life threatening bleeding can result.

It is exciting that something as inexpensive and readily available as aspirin may improve survival after colorectal cancer diagnosis. Be sure to ask your medical team if adding aspirin to your treatment plan is a good idea.