Aspirin might reduce chance of cancer dying

[archieW]

A new research has found that taking low-dose aspirin could reduce risk of cancer. This study has been published in the Lancet. Eight previous studies were reviewed for this study. All told, about 25,500 patients' information was included. This research is incredibly promising. There isn't really yet enough details for doctors to make a decision on aspirin therapy. Source for this article - Study links aspirin and cancer survival - don't start pills yet by Money Blog Newz.

 

 

Aspirin might be able to stop cancer

 

Today, the meta-study was published. A team or researchers in Britain published them. They said that taking aspirin every single day for five years reduces the risk of cancer being the cause of death. These are 75 milligram tablets. There was a 20 percent decrease in death from lung and prostate cancer, a 54 percent decrease in gastrointestinal cancers and a 60 percent decrease in esophageal cancers. There were day-to-day low-dose aspirin taken by people. Between 5 and 20 years was how long each did it. The studies had at first been designed to look at the cardiovascular effects of taking regular aspirin.

 

 

 

Not recommending regular aspirin

 

 

 

There was a dramatic improvement with those surviving cancers with the drug. However, it is not suggested that you do it regular still. This meta-study considered a relatively low number of subjects, and more study needs to be conducted as "proof of principle.". Thinning of blood, heartburn, loss of balance and ringing within the ears can all be caused by aspirin although it is considered relatively safe. "I surely think we wouldn't want for making any treatment decisions depending on this research," said Dr. Raymond DuBois, a provost of the University of TX M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

 

 

 

<p><strong>Issues with the aspirin-cancer study</strong></p>

 

 

 

There were 2 studies done that showed an improved cancer success rate with aspirin. Or course, the exact same group of researchers in Britain did both of the studies. These 2 studies, however, nevertheless leave significant spaces. Only 33 percent were women in the main meta-analysis. That is out of 25,000 subjects. There was no data on less common cancers like brain and stomach. The low-dose aspirin might not work on them. Finally, as the studies were at first designed to measure the benefit of aspirin on the heart, the subjects might be from a statistically skewed group of patients.

 

 

 

In the end, this aspirin cancer link is an exciting and possibly useful one, but there's not almost enough research yet to safely recommend it as a treatment for a lot of people.

 

 

 

Information from

 

 

Washington Post

 

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/07/AR2010120701602.html

 

 

 

Business Week

 

businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/647054.html

[Marat]

Long-term aspirin dosing always brings with it a heightened risk of renal disease, so you have to keep that in mind as part of your risk-benefit analysis in adopting an anti-cancer aspirin regimen. Since there are so many non-nephrotoxic agents to reduce your cancer risk (e.g., vitamin D), why bother with aspirin?

[Horza2002]

In the end, its a compromise between the benefits of taking aspirin (reducing heart disease issues, preventing caner and everything else) and the problems aspirin causes (stomach ucles, renal disease). Just becasue it can prevent cancer, doesn't mean that it should be used as an anti-cancer drug.

[SMF]

An important corollary of science is that correlation is not causation. Because there is, as yet, no mechanism identified that mediates an anti cancer effect of aspirin, this finding is in a sort of scientific limbo. Until there is a causal mechanism there are a variety of other explanations that should be treated as plausible. An example might be that people who are regularly taking aspirin are those who are more concerned about their health or have been advised by their physician to take it for the cardiovascular benefits. This group might be much more concerned about their health and therefore also doing other healthful behaviors and/or have good health care that would involve advising them on healthy activities. The finding is very interesting and I am looking forward to where it will lead. SM