The potential of aspirin for colon cancer
Cancer October 5th, 2009
Acetyl salicylic acid, the active ingredient of aspirin, commonly used to treat headaches or pain, it berpontensi reduce the risk of death for patients with colon cancer (colon).
Previous studies also showed aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes. In colon cancer prevention, aspirin is known beneficial to prevent side effects of cancer, such as bleeding due to irritation in the stomach or gastrointestinal tract.
In a recent study conducted researchers from Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, known colon cancer patients who took aspirin, in addition to also undergo surgery and chemotherapy, have a variety of benefits from this drug.
Aspirin inhibits an enzyme that is a key enzyme, namely COX-2, the proliferation of tumor formation. However, experts believe it is too early to recommend aspirin use for cancer patients because it is needed to research conducted at random to cancer patients.
Currently in Singapore was conducted to study the pesien to know the benefits of aspirin for their disease.
In research conducted by the Harvard team of experts, the Dr.Andrew Chan and his team analyzed data from two large studies the Nurses Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, involving 1300 colon cancer patients.
All the respondents had had surgery and chemotherapy. Of the 549 respoden regularly taking aspirin after cancer, only 81 people who died (15 percent). These numbers contrast when compared with the 730 people who did not take aspirin and 141 of them died (about 19 per cent).
If other factors taken into account, such as family history, experts estimate that the benefits of aspirin have a 20 percent reduced risk of death from cancer.
To avoid the risk of cancer, people are encouraged to consume foods that yield high fiber, in the form of vegetables, fruits, whole-grain cereals, and beans.
