Randomized trials in animal models have shown that aspirin reduces the risk of colorectal cancer and inhibits tumor growth and metastasis.

Now, Harvard researchers report that regular aspirin use after the diagnosis of colorectal cancer is associated with a lower risk death due to colorectal cancer. These findings are published in the August 12, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Scientists from Harvard Medical School studied 1279 men and women diagnosed with stage I, II, or III colorectal cancer in order to examine the association between aspirin use after colorectal cancer diagnosis and colorectal cancer-specific and overall survival. After an average follow-up period of 11.8 years, there were 193 total deaths and 81 colorectal cancer-specific deaths among 549 study participants who regularly used aspirin after colorectal cancer diagnosis, as compared to 287 total deaths and 141 colorectal cancer-specific deaths among 730 participants who did not use aspirin. In particularly, regular aspirin use after colorectal cancer diagnosis was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer-specific mortality among study participants whose tumors overexpressed cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2).

Based on this study, regularly using aspirin after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer reduces the risk of death both from colorectal cancer and from all causes, even if aspirin use is not started until after receiving the diagnosis. This association is particularly strong among colorectal cancer patients with tumors that overexpress COX-2.

Source:

JAMA. 2009;302(6):649-658.