A daily low dose of aspirin could sharply cut the risk of colorectal cancer returning after surgery, according to a large Scandinavian trial. Researchers at Stockholm's Karolinska Institute tracked more than 3,500 patients who had surgery to remove colorectal tumors. Genetic screening revealed that roughly 40% of them carried mutations in the PI3K pathway, which appears to make their cancers responsive to aspirin's effects, per a release.
Those with the mutations were randomly assigned to take either 160mg of aspirin a day or a placebo for three years after their surgery. Results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed a striking difference: Patients on aspirin were 55% less likely to see their cancer return than those who took a placebo. "If you had these mutations ... It is a huge effect," notes lead researcher Anna Martling, per the Guardian.
The findings are significant because nearly 2 million people worldwide are diagnosed with colorectal cancer annually, and recurrence remains a major challenge, despite advances in treatment. The study suggests that genetic testing could identify patients likely to benefit from aspirin, a "wonder drug" described as both inexpensive and widely available.
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However, long-term aspirin use carries risks—adverse events in the trial included allergic reactions and, rarely, serious bleeding. Experts are calling for additional large-scale studies to confirm who stands to gain the most. "There is increasing evidence that in certain groups of people, low-dose aspirin can offer protection," says Dr. Catherine Elliott of Cancer Research UK.
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