Can aspirin hold secret of curbing spread of cancer?

Taking aspirin significantly increases the chances of survival for thousands of cancer patients, research suggests. Scientists found cancer patients already taking low-dose aspirin were up to 25% more likely to be alive at any time after diagnosis.Many older people are already advised by doctors to take aspirin daily, particularly to prevent strokes. But the latest research showed it could also help lengthen their lives if they are diagnosed with cancer.“The use of low-dose aspirin as a preventive in heart disease, stroke and cancer is well established, but evidence is now emerging that the drug may have a valuable role as an additional treatment for cancer too,” said researcher professor Peter Elwood from the University of Cardiff.The research, which analysed 71 studies of aspirin’s effects, indicated the drug should be taken far more widely. Survival rates of 120,000 cancer patients taking aspirin were compared with those of 400,000 patients who did not. Almost half the studies involved patients with bowel cancer, while breast and prostate cancer accounted for most of the rest.Very few of the patients had serious stomach bleeding, a potential side-effect of aspirin. The proportion experiencing a serious bleed was no greater than in those who had a bleed due to other causes.The research published in PLOS Medicine said the review showed a reduction of deaths by 25% in colon cancer, 20% in breast cancer and around 15% in prostate cancer.The authors wrote that there was also “evidence of a substantial reduction” in how the cancers spread around the body “together with a reduction in all-cause mortality across all the cancers”.Professor Elwood added: “Patients with cancer should be given the evidence now available and be helped to make their own judgment of the balance between the risks and the benefits of a daily low (aspirin) dose.“Evidence from further studies is urgently required, and patients should be strongly encouraged to participate in appropriate research.  All patients should consult their GP before starting new medication.” The researchers said there were also some 15 reports that looked at the effects of aspirin on other cancers, including lung, ovarian, and bladder, and said there was no evidence of harm from taking aspirin.But they say there is “suggestive evidence of benefit in 10 of the 15 studies”. Of these, six indicated ‘significant’ benefit.The charity Cancer Research UK said there were no national guidelines recommending aspirin to prevent cancer or to stop it spreading, and that “there are still many questions we need to answer”. Experts say the new research would need to be backed up by large-scale clinical trials. One such trial, called Add Aspirin, is already taking place and involves around 11,000 patients with cancer. Half are taking aspirin, while the others are taking dummy ‘placebo’ tablets.Martin Ledwick of Cancer Research UK said: “Aspirin isn’t suitable for everyone and can have serious side effects so it’s important to speak to your doctor if you are considering taking it as part of your treatment.‘Clinical trials are needed to establish whether aspirin can be used as a treatment for cancer. They’re also needed to find out who should take the drug, how much they should take and for how long.To help answer some of these questions, Cancer Research UK is funding Add Aspirin, the world’s largest clinical trial studying if aspirin can prevent certain types of cancer from coming back.”