Drugs/Therapy

Aspirin Increases Survival In Cancer Patients By 20%, Reduces Risk Of Bile Duct Cancer

By Sara Gale | Update Date: Apr 21, 2016 07:49 PM EDT

Aspirin, one of the common over-the-counter pills, used to treat pain, inflammation and fever is observed to increase survival in cancer patients by 20 percent. The drug that is found to prevent the spread of cancer to certain extent is also said to lower the risk of developing bile duct cancer in people.

Aspirin, which is used as an anti-platelet medication is also established to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack in aged people. A couple of studies published recently have also noted that taking in mild dose of aspirin every day reduces ovarian cancer risk by 20 percent and colorectal cancer risk by 19 percent, according to Medical News Today.

Meanwhile, a team of researchers from Cardiff University's School of Medicine conducted a review on meta-analysis of 42 observational studies and randomized trials in patients with colorectal, breast and prostate cancer. The findings of the study showed 15 to 20 percent increase in the survival of the cancer patients when they combined low dose of aspirin every day with appropriate cancer medication.

 "There is a growing body of evidence that taking aspirin is of significant benefit in reducing some cancers," said Professor Peter Elwood, who led the research, noted Express. "Our review, based on the available evidence, suggests that low-dose aspirin taken by patients with bowel, breast or prostate cancer, in addition to other treatments, is associated with a reduction in deaths of about 15-20 per cent together with a reduction in the spread of the cancer."

Another study by a team of researchers from Mayo Clinic has it that people who took aspirin had reduced risk of bile duct cancer by two and half to three and half times when compared to individuals that didn't take the pill. Though bile duct cancer is not a common form of cancer, once caused it is aggressive and spreads rapidly with high fatalities.

Continuous inflammation in the bile duct, the duct that carries bile juice through liver, is believed to be responsible for promoting cancer. And aspirin with anti-inflammation properties is assumed to lessen inflammation and help reduce the incidence of cancer, reported Business Standard.

"The evidence has been accumulating that regular, long-term use of aspirin is associated with a decreased risk of a number of different cancer types, particularly gastrointestinal cancers," said Lewis Roberts from Mayo Clinic in the US.

© 2023 Counsel & Heal All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics