Aspirin With Chemotherapy Could Improve Survival in a Cohort of Stage III Colon Cancer Patients

Recent research has raised the possibility that low-dose aspirin could add extra years to the lives of colon cancer patients. Now, a new study suggests that only certain patients may gain a survival benefit by taking aspirin after diagnosis.

JAMA Internal Medicine

The study of about 1,000 patients found that people whose tumor cells give off a specific antigen, or defense mechanism, gained most from adding aspirin to their regular treatment.The findings, published online March 31 in , aren't conclusive, and patients who develop colon cancer while already taking aspirin may not get any benefit. Also, aspirin, while inexpensive, comes with its own risks.

Experts asked if colon cancer patients should begin taking aspirin as a result of these findings were divided.

"Absolutely not," said study lead author Dr. Marlies Reimers, a doctoral student at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands. She believes more research is necessary. But the author of a commentary accompanying the study, Dr. Alfred Neugut, said he now plans to recommend aspirin therapy for specific patients.

Read the complete report here: http://1.usa.gov/1pLfFz6

Source: Medline Plus