MEDIA RELEASE
24th
November 2010
ASPIRIN
REDUCES COLON CANCER
“We are on the brink of a breakthrough of enormous importance,”
said Professor Peter Elwood (Cardiff University), speaking at
the Aspirin Foundation conference Aspirin, Salicylates and Cancer
at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on November 23rd.
Reviewing the implications of the latest research on aspirin in
the prevention of cancer, Professor Elwood and a panel of experts
considered how the new evidence could support an application for
regulatory approval for aspirin to prevent cancer.
In October, researchers at Oxford University reported for the
first time that aspirin has a long term protective effect against
colorectal cancer.1 Lead investigator Professor Peter Rothwell
told the conference that observational studies have linked aspirin
use with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. But these studies
fall short of conclusive proof and confirmation is needed from
prospective randomised trials. His team analysed four large trials
involving a total of 14,000 people to show for the first time
that, 20 years after regular use for an average of 6 years, aspirin
reduced the risk of developing colon cancer by 24 per cent and
cut the risk of dying from colon cancer by 35 per cent. However,
this protective effect did not become apparent for 10 years.
The conference debated how the new evidence could change the way
we use aspirin in clinical practice. Professor Gordon McVie, Senior
Consultant at the Instituto Europeo Di Oncologia, Italy, said
there is already enough evidence to target the use of aspirin
at people with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer.
Professor Sir John Burn, Professor of Clinical Genetics, University
of Newcastle, presented a clinical trial showing that aspirin
reduces the risk of developing cancer in people with Lynch Syndrome,
a genetic disorder which greatly increases risk of colorectal
cancer. Aspirin and NSAID are associated with a reduced risk of
relapse in people with cancer of the breast or colon, said Professor
Jack Cuzick, Cancer Research UK Centre for Epidemiology, Mathematics
and Statistics, University of London. If we also take into account
aspirin’s effect on reducing cardiovascular risk, Professor
Elwood said, the balance of benefit and risk becomes more favourable
for other people.
Dion Morton, Professor of Colorectal Surgery at the University
of Birmingham, described the potential impact of aspirin on the
way we detect and treat colorectal cancer now. “We’re
at a tipping point with screening, which offers the opportunity
to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Evidence strongly suggests
that aspirin can make a substantial contribution to that.”
The therapeutic properties of salicylates were first described
in 1763 but the protective effect of aspirin against cancer was
reported only 20 years ago. Now, with convincing evidence of long
term reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer, the conference
agreed that the next step in aspirin’s therapeutic development
is to form an expert group to steer aspirin through the process
of regulatory approval.
ENDS
Reference
1. Rothwell PM, Wilson M, Elwin CE et al. Long-term effect of
aspirin on colorectal cancer incidence and mortality: 20-year
follow-up of five randomised trials. Lancet. 2010 Oct 21. [Epub
ahead of print]
Bayer / Companies have no influence on agenda or content
of the Aspirin Foundation meeting
