Men who have been treated for prostate cancer, either with surgery or radiation, could benefit from regularly taking aspirin, according to a study.
Taking aspirin is associated with a lower risk of death from prostate cancer, especially in men with high-risk disease, researchers reported.
Preclinical studies have shown that aspirin and other anticoagulation medications may inhibit cancer growth and metastasis, but clinical data previously have been limited. The latest study looked at almost 6,000 men in the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor database who had prostate cancer treated with surgery or radiotherapy.
About 2,200 (37%) of the men involved were receiving anticoagulants (warfarin, clopidogrel, enoxaparin and/or aspirin). The risk of death from prostate cancer was compared between those taking anticoagulants and those who were not.
The findings demonstrated that 10-year mortality from prostate cancer was significantly lower in the group taking anticoagulants, compared to the non-anticoagulant group — 3% versus 8%, respectively. The risks of cancer recurrence and bone metastasis also were significantly lower.
Further analysis suggested this benefit was primarily derived from taking aspirin, as opposed to other types of anticoagulants, the researchers said.
The suggestion that aspirin, a frequently prescribed and relatively well-tolerated medication, may improve outcomes in prostate cancer is of particular interest, said Kevin Choe, MD, PhD, the first author of the multi-center study and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He noted that prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among men and the second-leading cancer killer in the U.S.
"The results from this study suggest that aspirin prevents the growth of tumor cells in prostate cancer, especially in high-risk prostate cancer, for which we do not have a very good treatment currently," Choe said in a news release. "But we need to better understand the optimal use of aspirin before routinely recommending it to all prostate cancer patients."
The study appeared Aug. 27 on the website of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The study abstract is available at http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/early/2012/08/26/JCO.2011.41.0308.abstract.
Taking aspirin is associated with a lower risk of death from prostate cancer, especially in men with high-risk disease, researchers reported.
Preclinical studies have shown that aspirin and other anticoagulation medications may inhibit cancer growth and metastasis, but clinical data previously have been limited. The latest study looked at almost 6,000 men in the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor database who had prostate cancer treated with surgery or radiotherapy.
About 2,200 (37%) of the men involved were receiving anticoagulants (warfarin, clopidogrel, enoxaparin and/or aspirin). The risk of death from prostate cancer was compared between those taking anticoagulants and those who were not.
The findings demonstrated that 10-year mortality from prostate cancer was significantly lower in the group taking anticoagulants, compared to the non-anticoagulant group — 3% versus 8%, respectively. The risks of cancer recurrence and bone metastasis also were significantly lower.
Further analysis suggested this benefit was primarily derived from taking aspirin, as opposed to other types of anticoagulants, the researchers said.
The suggestion that aspirin, a frequently prescribed and relatively well-tolerated medication, may improve outcomes in prostate cancer is of particular interest, said Kevin Choe, MD, PhD, the first author of the multi-center study and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He noted that prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among men and the second-leading cancer killer in the U.S.
"The results from this study suggest that aspirin prevents the growth of tumor cells in prostate cancer, especially in high-risk prostate cancer, for which we do not have a very good treatment currently," Choe said in a news release. "But we need to better understand the optimal use of aspirin before routinely recommending it to all prostate cancer patients."
The study appeared Aug. 27 on the website of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The study abstract is available at http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/early/2012/08/26/JCO.2011.41.0308.abstract.
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