5 replies to this topic

[doug123]

Science Daily: News Source



Source: American Association for Cancer Research
Date: April 17, 2007

Can Aspirin Help Keep Cancer At Bay?

Science Daily — Regular aspirin use was associated with lower cancer incidence and cancer mortality, but non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use was not, according to one of the largest studies ever conducted to look at the impact of these agents on overall cancer risk. Aspirin was also associated with a lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease, while NSAIDs were not.

Among 22,507 cancer-free postmenopausal women who participated in the Iowa Women's Health Study and provided information on aspirin and NSAID use, those who said they regularly used aspirin had a 16 percent reduced risk of developing cancer more than a decade later, as well as a 13 percent reduced risk of dying from cancer over this same time period, compared to women who did not use aspirin. But there was no statistically significant impact on cancer incidence or mortality among women who used non-aspirin NSAIDs, compared to those who did not, say researchers from the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota.

The researchers also looked at whether smoking status had any impact on the potential preventive effects of aspirin and found that while these agents were associated with lower cancer incidence and mortality among former and never smokers, the same apparent benefits were not seen among active smokers.

These study results do not mean, however, that women should throw away their NSAIDs or pick up a bottle of aspirin, says the study's lead author, Aditya Bardia, M.D., M.P.H. "This is just one study," he says. "However, it does provide provocative evidence that regular aspirin use may play a role in preventing the most common chronic diseases in western countries, namely cancer and heart disease."

The different impact of aspirin compared to other NSAIDs was somewhat surprising, the researchers say. "While chemically different, these agents share at least one similar mechanism of action so you might have expected them to have comparable effects," says Jon Ebbert, M.D., the senior author on the study.

Specifically, aspirin and other NSAIDs reduce inflammation through inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. These enzymes are responsible for the formation of prostaglandins, which can drive inflammation and possibly stimulate cancer development in a number of organ sites, Dr. Ebbert said.

Previous studies have evaluated whether aspirin or other NSAIDs prevent specific cancers, such as breast cancer. "But this study is unique because we were able to evaluate comprehensive endpoints such as total cancer incidence and cancer mortality, which are more clinically relevant outcomes for patients," Dr. Bardia said.

While the researchers note that one of the weaknesses of this study was that the women were given only a single survey of aspirin and non-aspirin NSAID use, it also had many strengths including the prospective cohort study design, relatively long follow-up (up to 12 years) on a large number of participants, during which time many developed (3,487) and died (1,193) from cancer. The authors were also able to adjust the results for a large number of lifestyle factors, and found little evidence that these other factors could explain the aspirin and cancer associations observed in this study.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by American Association for Cancer Research.

In addition to this news report published today, the following topics may be of interest:

1. Aspirin a day? It may help in women (Feb. 20, 2007)

and

2. Aspirin may help women live longer -study (Mar 26, 2007)

Take care.

[edward]

The problem with a study like this is that it is not really a study but a statistical exercise with no controls. Basically they found a group of women that "said they regularly used aspirin". They then found a group of women that "reportedly" took NSAIDs on a regular basis but not aspirin. Then they used their medical history to come up with their numbers. There is no causation here no discussion of other variables etcetera etcetera, furthermore there is no verification of actual aspirin or NSAID use, dosages, etcetera. The conclusions may be valid (I'm a fan of aspirin don't get me wrong) however the science or lack there of is flawed. This is the kind of "research" that really muddies the waters and really annoys me.

[sUper GeNius]

Science Daily: News Source



Source: American Association for Cancer Research
Date: April 17, 2007

Can Aspirin Help Keep Cancer At Bay?

Science Daily — Regular aspirin use was associated with lower cancer incidence and cancer mortality, but non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use was not, according to one of the largest studies ever conducted to look at the impact of these agents on overall cancer risk. Aspirin was also associated with a lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease, while NSAIDs were not.

Among 22,507 cancer-free postmenopausal women who participated in the Iowa Women's Health Study and provided information on aspirin and NSAID use, those who said they regularly used aspirin had a 16 percent reduced risk of developing cancer more than a decade later, as well as a 13 percent reduced risk of dying from cancer over this same time period, compared to women who did not use aspirin. But there was no statistically significant impact on cancer incidence or mortality among women who used non-aspirin NSAIDs, compared to those who did not, say researchers from the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota.

The researchers also looked at whether smoking status had any impact on the potential preventive effects of aspirin and found that while these agents were associated with lower cancer incidence and mortality among former and never smokers, the same apparent benefits were not seen among active smokers.

These study results do not mean, however, that women should throw away their NSAIDs or pick up a bottle of aspirin, says the study's lead author, Aditya Bardia, M.D., M.P.H. "This is just one study," he says. "However, it does provide provocative evidence that regular aspirin use may play a role in preventing the most common chronic diseases in western countries, namely cancer and heart disease."

The different impact of aspirin compared to other NSAIDs was somewhat surprising, the researchers say. "While chemically different, these agents share at least one similar mechanism of action so you might have expected them to have comparable effects," says Jon Ebbert, M.D., the senior author on the study.

Specifically, aspirin and other NSAIDs reduce inflammation through inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. These enzymes are responsible for the formation of prostaglandins, which can drive inflammation and possibly stimulate cancer development in a number of organ sites, Dr. Ebbert said.

Previous studies have evaluated whether aspirin or other NSAIDs prevent specific cancers, such as breast cancer. "But this study is unique because we were able to evaluate comprehensive endpoints such as total cancer incidence and cancer mortality, which are more clinically relevant outcomes for patients," Dr. Bardia said.

While the researchers note that one of the weaknesses of this study was that the women were given only a single survey of aspirin and non-aspirin NSAID use, it also had many strengths including the prospective cohort study design, relatively long follow-up (up to 12 years) on a large number of participants, during which time many developed (3,487) and died (1,193) from cancer. The authors were also able to adjust the results for a large number of lifestyle factors, and found little evidence that these other factors could explain the aspirin and cancer associations observed in this study.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by American Association for Cancer Research.

In addition to this news report published today, the following topics may be of interest:

1. Aspirin a day? It may help in women (Feb. 20, 2007)

and

2. Aspirin may help women live longer -study (Mar 26, 2007)

Take care.

I take an 81mg aspirin daily. It seems to me that the evidence for aspirin is at least as strong as the evidence for any other supplement people consume here.

[edward]

I take an 81mg aspirin daily. It seems to me that the evidence for aspirin is at least as strong as the evidence for any other supplement people consume here.

I agree with you, aspirin is good, I was just expressing my annoyance about the posted "study" and "studies" like that in general for whatever drug or supplement.

[xanadu]

There have been a bunch of studies showing positive effects from aspirin use. There have been several that showed it lowered colorectal cancer in particular. I take 1/4 of a 500mg aspirin 4 times a week.

[doug123]

Here's some more evidence to support the use of Asprin:

News Source: Life Style Extra



An Aspirin A Day 'Staves Off Bowel Cancer'
Friday, 11th May 2007, 07:23
Category: Healthy Living

Taking an aspirin a day for five years staves off bowel cancer, claims new research.

A study of 7,588 people found those who had regularly used the wonderdrug dramatically cut their risk of developing the disease.

However, doctors warned only those at increased risk of colon cancer should adopt this prevention strategy because the doses were high enough to trigger gut bleeds and other dangerous side effects among the general population.

Besides taking aspirin, there are many other ways of reducing the risk of bowel cancer such as keeping a healthy bodyweight, being active and eating lots of fibre and fish and less red or processed meat.

Aspirin has been linked to preventing a range of other cancers along with dementia, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and strokes.

Neurologist Professor Peter Rothwell, of Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, and colleagues analysed patients from two large randomised trials of aspirin performed in the late 1970s and early 80s - the British Doctors' Aspirin Trial and the UK-TIA Aspirin Trial.

The researchers were particularly interested in long term follow up because colorectal adenomas, benign bowel tumours which aspirin are believed to reduce, take at least 10 years to develop into cancers.

The study, published in The Lancet, showed that taking a 300mg tablet of aspirin for five years reduced the subsequent bowel cancer cases by 37 per cent overall, and by 74 per cent during the period of between 10 and 15 years after the treatment started.

In an accompanying analysis of observational studies, the risk of colon cancer also appeared to be reduced by between 50 and 70 per cent in patients taking medium to high doses of the painkiller for 10 years or more, compared with the groups given a dummy pill.

The analysis also showed the effects of aspirin were consistent regardless of age, sex, race or country of origin of patients studied, all of which affect the general rate of bowel cancer which is the second most common cancer in developed countries.

And the effect was also seen in those with a close family member who had suffered the disease - which increases lifetime risk by two to four times.

Prof Rothwell said: "Use of 300mg or more of aspirin a day for about five years is effective in primary prevention of colorectal cancer, with a latency of about 10 years, which is consistent with findings from observational studies.

"Long term follow up is required from other randomised trials to establish the effects of lower or less frequent doses of aspirin."

Dr Andrew Chan, of the Gastrointestinal Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said the results provide "convincing evidence that aspirin, at biologically relevant doses, can reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer."

But he added: "However, with the concerns about the potential risks of long term aspirin use and the availability of alternative prevention strategies such as screening), these findings are not sufficient to warrant a recommendation for the general population to use aspirin for cancer prevention."

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Peace.