A study of bowel cancer patients in The Netherlands found that patients who took low doses of aspirin every day reduced their mortality risk by almost a third. Aspirin has been used for many years as a painkiller and is now recommended for people suffering from heart disease to prevent heart attack and stroke. This study adds to previous studies which have found that “…aspirin not only can prevent cancer from occurring but if it is there it can help prevent it spreading…” according to lead researcher, Dr Gerrit-Jan Liefers.
The study, which was published in the British Journal of Cancer presented a culmination of research of 4500 bowel cancer patients over almost a decade. The researchers found that those patients who began to take aspirin following their diagnosis cut their risk of death by 23% and if the drug was taken daily for at least nine months the mortality risk was lowered by 30%.
The researchers propose that aspirin could be a useful additional treatment but should not replace traditional treatments such as chemotherapy. They now hope to hold a randomised controlled trial to look at how aspirin compares to placebo drugs for people aged over 70 years with bowel cancer. Sarah Lyness from Cancer Research UK recommended that “Anyone thinking of taking aspirin to cut their risk of cancer should talk to their GP first. People with cancer should be aware that aspirin can increase the chances of complications before surgery or other cancer treatments… and should discuss this with their specialist.”
