Randomized trials show that regular aspirin use reduces the risk of polyps in people at high risk for colorectal cancer. Now an observational study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Volume 302, page 649) finds that people with colorectal cancer live longer if they take aspirin on a regular basis.
Researchers looked at aspirin use in 1,279 men and women with stage I, II, or III colorectal cancer who were enrolled in two large studies. They found that after nearly 12 years of follow-up, regular aspirin users had a 29% lower risk of dying of colorectal cancer than nonusers. The 10-year survival rate was 74% for the individuals who used aspirin after their diagnosis and 69% for those who did not.
The researchers have several reasons to believe that aspirin was responsible for the improved survival. For example, when the researchers examined tumors from 459 participants, they found that only tumors with high levels of COX-2 benefited from aspirin use. Aspirin is known to inhibit COX-2, which promotes inflammation and cell growth and is found at high levels in most colorectal cancers.
Bottom line: Aspirin has a number of side effects and shouldn't be used by everyone. But if you have been diagnosed with non-metastatic colorectal cancer, talk to your doctor about the possibility of regular aspirin use.
