Aspirin lowers death rate for colorectal cancer patients

Regular aspirin use is associated with a lower risk of death from colorectal cancer or other causes, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. These findings come as the result of a recent study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School where 1279 patients were followed for an average of twelve years. The men and women had been diagnosed with stage I, II, or III colorectal cancer.

The New York Times research page summarized the findings of the study.

“The improvements in outcomes were striking. Patients with colorectal cancer who regularly used aspirin before and after a diagnosis were almost one-third less likely to die of the disease than non-users. Patients who initiated aspirin use only after a diagnosis did even better and had half the risk of dying from the cancer, possibly because of differences in their tumors.”

The study found that results were most significant in patients with tumors that overexpress COX-2. COX-2 is an enzyme that is responsible for inflammation and pain. Aspirin is a COX-2 inhibitor.