Aspirin and cancer: a new review
Aspirin has been linked to increased survival in some forms of cancer
Anna Kerman, XX2 century
Patients on antitumor therapy can increase their chances of survival and reduce the risk of developing metastases if they take small doses of aspirin daily. This is reported in a new study prepared on the basis of Cardiff University (Cardiff University).
Specialists from Cardiff analyzed the existing scientific literature and came to the conclusion that adding small doses of aspirin to standard therapy prescribed by oncologists reduced mortality rates and the frequency of tumor spread to other organs and tissues. The average follow-up time for patients in the studies used for the new systematic review was 5 years. The review is published in the journal PLOS ONE.
"There is an ever–growing evidence base demonstrating that taking aspirin can bring significant benefits in some types of cancer," says Professor Peter Elwood, who led the work. – Although we knew that small doses of aspirin reduce the risk of cancer, the role of this drug in the treatment of cancer remained unclear. As a result, we decided to conduct a systematic study of all scientific literature."
A group of scientists collected all available data on the topic, including five randomized and forty-two observational studies. The sample includes works on bowel, breast and prostate cancer.
Professor Elwood continues: "Our review, prepared on the basis of available evidence, suggests that patients with bowel, breast or prostate cancer taking low doses of aspirin in addition to the main treatment, there is a reduction in mortality by 15-20% in combination with a decrease in the incidence of cancer spread [to other organs].
Approximately 20% of patients had a PIK3CA mutation, apparently, this fact can largely explain the decrease in the mortality rate of patients with colorectal cancer who took aspirin.
The appointment of aspirin is usually associated with concerns about possible internal bleeding. Therefore, we have carefully studied the available evidence regarding bleeding, and contacted all the authors in order to obtain additional information. No cases of serious or life-threatening bleeding have been recorded in any of the studies."
Based on the results obtained, the authors of the review argue that there is a need for randomized trials. These studies would expand the evidence base supporting the appointment of low-dose aspirin as an additional therapy for cancer. Scientists would also like to receive data on the feasibility of using aspirin in patients with less common forms of cancer than those included in the new review.
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