Aspirin in the Treatment of Cancer: Reductions in Metastatic Spread and in Mortality

open access
PLOS ONE: Aspirin in the Treatment of Cancer: Reductions in Metastatic Spread and in Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Published Studies

.... A mutation of PIK3CA was present in about 20% of patients, and appeared to explain most of the reduction in colon cancer mortality by aspirin. Data were not adequate to examine the importance of this or any other marker in the effect of aspirin in the other cancers. On bleeding attributable to aspirin two reports stated that there had been no side effect or bleeding attributable to aspirin. Authors on the other reports were written to and 21 replied stating that no data on bleeding were available.

Conclusions and Implications

The study highlights the need for randomised trials of aspirin treatment in a variety of cancers. While these are awaited there is an urgent need for evidence from observational studies of aspirin and the less common cancers, and for more evidence of the relevance of possible bio-markers of the aspirin effect on a wide variety of cancers. In the meantime it is urged that patients in whom a cancer is diagnosed should be given details of this research, together with its limitations, to enable each to make an informed decision as to whether or not to take low-dose aspirin.

Systematic Review Protocol Number

CRD42015014145

reference (1 reference to ovarian cancer - abstract):

54. Nagle CM, Ibiebele TI, DeFazio A, Protani MM, Webb PM. Australian Ovarian Cancer Study Group. (2015) Aspirin, nonaspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen and ovarian cancer survival. Cancer Epidemiol. 39(2):196–9. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2014.12.010. Epub 2015 Feb 7. pmid:25666512

   Associations did not differ by histologic subtype or stage at diagnosis.•Results provide no strong evidence that use of aspirin or NSAIDs are associated with improved survival