In addition to lessening pain while also helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes, aspirin is now believed to increase the chance of survival for patients suffering from colon cancer. In fact, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that colon cancer patients reduced their risk of dying from the disease by as much as 30% when they took aspirin in conjunction with surgery and chemotherapy.

The authors of the study examined data from two large ongoing studies, looking at nearly 1300 patients who had been followed for an average of 12 years. All of the patients had surgery for their cancer and many had undergone chemotherapy, as well.

Of the group of patients who did not take any aspirin, about 19% died from the disease. However, when the patient took aspirin on a regular basis after their diagnosis, about 15% died from their cancer. When such risk factors as family history and lifestyle were taken into account, the difference between the two groups amounted to a nearly 30% reduction in the risk of cancer death.

It is interesting to note that only those patients with tumors that over-express Cox-2 saw any benefit. The Cox-2 protein is an enzyme that contributes to the process of inflammation and pain in our bodies. It has also been implicated in cancer formation because it has been found at high levels in certain tumors. In light of this, it has been hypothesized that certain compounds that are used impede the action and/or formation of Cox-2 (including Cox-2 inhibitors) might also prevent the spread of cancer.

Aspirin is such a compound. In fact, earlier studies have looked at aspirin’s potential role in cancer prevention. The reason for this is because it is known that aspirin blocks the function of the Cox-2 enzyme, which as mentioned above, plays a role in inflammation and pain (this is why we take aspirin when we have a headache). Since Cox-2 is over expressed in certain tumors, researchers decided to study the possible relationship more in depth.

What they found was that those patients who regularly took aspirin had a lower risk of developing colon cancer than those who did not. However, the benefits of aspirin were only seen when the tumors in question over expressed the Cox-2 enzyme.

Now, it appears that when cancer is actually present, aspirin can potentially reduce the risk of death. The authors note that it is too early to begin broad recommendations for the consumption of aspirin, and more information will be available as more rigid studies shed new light aspirin’s efficacy in this regard.

Nevertheless, it is interesting when you consider that something as inexpensive and ubiquitous as aspirin could be so effective in treating cancer, especially when you consider that colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, second only to lung cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimates that nearly 50,000 people in this country will die from it this year.

For more information, talk to your physician and check out the website for the National Cancer Institute.