Cancer, the benefits from aspirin are confirmed

A small quantity of aspirin, taken every day, would considerably reduce mortality due to a certain number of current cancers such as colon cancer or prostate cancer, according to a study published in the medical review « The Lancet ». Previous works showed aspirin taken at feeble dose (75 mg a day) on the long term, would permit to reduce more than a third mortality rates by colorectal cancer. For this new study, the Professor Peter Rothwell (Oxford university, United Kingdom) and his colleagues studied deaths due to all cancers occurred during and after tests comparing patients who take aspirin every day to these who did not take it. Those tests concerned cardiovascular prevention (infarct…) and no cancer.

To lead their work, the authors held 8 test encompassing 25 570 patients. According to them, taking aspirin daily during 5 to 10 years, as in these tests, reduce mortality, all merged causes
(included those due to a fatal haemorrhage), of about 10 % during that period. And according to their analysis, on about twenty years, reduction of death risk by cancer is about 10% for prostate cancer, 30% for this of lung, of 40% for colorectal cancer and 60% for this of oesophagus. For this last, as for lung cancer, the benefit is limited to a category of tumours (“adenocarcinomas”).

According to Pr Rothwell, if people were treated with weak aspirin doses during 20 to 30 years, these who would start this treatment towards the end of forty or at about fifty would be able, at the end, to take the most of the benefit. Complementary researches are necessary, according to the authors, in particular to evaluate the impact of aspirin of female cancers. A medical follow-up beyond twenty years is indispensable to verify if there is on late rebound of mortality by cancer, they add. Those results do not mean that all adults have to begin immediately to take aspirin, but demonstrate important benefits brought by aspirin at weak doses in term of reduction of mortality du to various common cancers, that is new, according to them. Cancer is responsible of about 1,7 millions deaths a year in Europe, they note.

An investigation published on Tuesday reveals that 75 mg of aspirin a day reduce of 20% mortality by cancer. More than one hundred years after its commercialisation, aspirin do not finish delivering its secrets and above all its benefits. Last in date: a preventive effect almost universal faced to cancers, when it is taken at small dose during years. Until here, this propriety was above all studied and solidly established for colorectal tumours. A few weaks ago, a study of the Britannic staff of Pr Peter Rothwell, of Oxford University, evaluated like that a minimal consumption of aspirin (75 milligrams a day) at long course reduces of 24% colorectal cancer risk, and of a third its mortality in people affected yet.

This same staff published on Tuesday, always in the Britannic review The Lancet new data according to which acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) react on numerous other malignant tumours, reducing at least 20% their mortality. To study intimate relations between taking aspirin and cancers, Peter Rothwell and his colleagues looked into great studies comparing aspirin to placebo or to another product anti-agregant or anti-coagulant – in prevention of cardio-vascular illnesses. Aspirin is, in fact, one of classical fundamental treatments to fluidize blood on individuals with high risk of cardiac accidents. At total, seven test were reanalysed, included 25 570 patients. Among them, 674 are dead by cancers. Wholly, in patients under aspirin, mortality by malignant tumour was found reduced of 21% during studies duration. Benefits were again more pronounced beyond five years, with a diminution of 34% all merged cancers, and even of 54% concerning gastro-intestinal tumours.

Aspirin effects appear at the end of about five years for oesophagus, pancreas, brain and lung cancers, after about ten years for those of stomach and colon and about fifteen years concerning prostate cancers. In the tests where the follow-up was very long, benefits were maintained during more than twenty years, Peter Rothwell insists, who precises too they are « limited to certain cancers, above all those of type adenocarcinomas». «It is a work very well done, solid on methodological plan and which opens the way to an approach of prevention efficient and feasible of cancers, becomes enthusiastic Dr Catherine Hill, epidemiologist at the Gustave-Roussy Institute (Villejuif). Until now, in this field, prevention appealed to fight against risk factors as tobacco, alcohol... But concerning the medicaments, there is not a lot of things. Various tracks were envisaged, as that of tamoxifene to prevent breast cancer or even anticox (anti-inflammatories) but there were abandoned because there were more risks than benefits.» Concretely, can we recommend to anyone to take each morning a small dose of aspirin?

As it concerns colorectal cancers, we are not so far. In his previous article published in October, Peter Rothwell suggested to do it for individuals with high risk of its tumours, because of a familial field. But a «chemoprevention» wider in population seemed premature, in particular because of secondary digestive effects of the molecule. It is always the case. «Other works are necessary» admit today Britannic researchers, who underline in particular the lack of data concerning female cancers, particularly breast cancer. As we are waiting, they consider in individuals who come under an anti-agregant treatment, their results have to tip the scales in favour of aspirin.