Study: Aspirin regimen could benefit prostate cancer patients

DALLAS — Men who have been treated for prostate cancer, either with surgery or radiation, could benefit from taking aspirin regularly, according to a multicenter study published in Tuesday's issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.



The findings demonstrated that 10-year mortality from prostate cancer was significantly lower in a study group taking anticoagulants, compared with a group not taking anticoagulants — 3% as compared with 8%, respectively. The risks of cancer recurrence and bone metastasis also were significantly lower. Further analysis suggested that this benefit was primarily derived from taking aspirin, as opposed to other types of anticoagulants, noted study author Kevin Choe, assistant professor of radiation oncology at UT Southwestern.



The 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 of the men involved — 37% — 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 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 stated. “But we need to better understand the optimal use of aspirin before routinely recommending it to all prostate cancer patients.”

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