According to a new study, people who take aspirin are less likely to get non-cardia gastric cancer. But it does not protect against other types of stomach cancer or oesophageal cancer.

Summary

A study of over 300,000 people has shown that those who take aspirin - even as infrequently as one a year - are less likely to get cancer in the lower or middle parts of the stomach. But there was no effect on other stomach cancers, including oesophageal cancers.

Introduction

Stomach cancer and oesophageal cancers have survival rates of just 15 and eight percent at five years. So it urgent to get better understanding of prevention and treatment. We already know that cancer can reduce the risk of bowel cancer - although it is currently not officially recommended for this because it increases the risk of stomach bleeding, which can be serious.

What was done

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute in the United States studied a group of over 300,000 people, noting their consumption of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and noting the numbers developing stomach and oesophageal cancer. In the course of their work, they carried out an analysis of 17 studies on this topic.

What was found

People who had taken aspirin at least once in the preceding year were significantly less likely to go on to develop non-cardia gastric cancer - that is, cancer of the middle or lower stomach. There was also a 32 percent reduction in this cancer for those taking other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, there was no impact on rates of cancer in the upper stomach - known as cardia gastric cancer, or on cancer of the oesophagus. However, some studies have suggested that aspirin does actually protect against these cancers.

What this study means

Given that stomach and oesophageal cancer have such poor survival rates, this study may offer new hope in terms of prevention. The next step would be to carry out a trial specifically designed to see if aspirin and related drugs really can protect against these cancers.

Source

Abnet C et al Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and risks of gastric oesophageal adenocarcinomas: results from a cohort study British Journal of Cancer February 6 2009