New Study: Aspirin and Colon Cancer
New Study: Aspirin and Colon Cancer
According to the results of a study published recently in the Journal
of the American Medical Association, aspirin appears to have a positive
effect in reducing the risk of dying from colon cancer. Those associated
with the study reviewed the cases of over one thousand individuals who
had been diagnosed with colon cancer. From this group, 549 indicated
that they took aspirin regularly after they had been diagnosed with cancer
of the colon. Eighty one died from the cancer, while 141 individuals
who did not take aspirin died of colon cancer. Researchers associated
with the study factored in risk factors and determined that the reduction
in deaths from colon cancer as a result of taking aspirin was close to
30%. All 1,300 in the study had undergone surgery and many had been
taking chemotherapy drugs.
Cox-2 is an enzyme that is thought to play a role in the spread of
cancer. Researches reported that only those in the study whose tumors
tested positive for Cox-2 were helped by the aspirin. Some have suggested
that after further study, aspirin may become part of the future
treatment for colon cancer, along with surgery and drugs.