Re: Aspirin May Help Treat Colon Cancer : A review

[Guest guest]

I am always skeptical when i read a nice piece of propaganda from the " drugs

pushers "

So here is the result of a few minutes research on the subject on Google

scholar:

FIRST

Regular use of aspirin appears to reduce the risk of colorectal cancers that

overexpress COX-2 but not the risk of colorectal cancers with weak or absent

expression of COX-2.

Study :

Aspirin and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Relation to the Expression of COX-2

THIS WORK ONLY FEW TYPE OF CANCER

==========================================================

SECOND

Fair to good studies show that aspirin or NSAIDs taken in high doses for long

periods reduce the risk for polyps and colorectal cancer. However, there is

little evidence that taking these drugs reduces the risk for dying from

colorectal cancer.

Study :

Aspirin or Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs for the Prevention of Colorectal

Cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations

LACK OF EVIDENCE OF A REDUCTION OF DEATH

=======================================================

THIRD

Regular, long-term aspirin use reduces risk of colorectal cancer among men.

However, the benefit of aspirin necessitates at least 6 years of consistent use,

with maximal risk reduction at doses greater than 14 tablets per week. The

potential hazards associated with long-term use of such doses should be

carefully considered.

Study :

Aspirin Dose and Duration of Use and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Men

ONLY AFTER 6 YEARS OF USE AT MEGADOSE WITH ALL THE RELATED HAZARDS

================================================================

Now, let's take a look at the risks involved in taking aspirin routinely, which

is what all these news media articles indicate women should be doing.

Stroke

One of the standard claims about aspirin is that it limits the risk of stroke.

The logic is that aspirin is a blood thinner, therefore strokes are less likely

when you take it because they're caused by blood clots. There's an obvious flaw

in this thinking. Some strokes are caused by the opposite of blood clots;

they're caused by bleeding in the brain. It should have been obvious that

routinely taking aspirin, or any blood thinner, carries the risk of increasing

the incidence of bleeding strokes.

A study spanning 25 years published in the medical journal, Lancet Neurology,

showed a seven-fold increase in the incidence of bleeding stroke in people over

age 75 who take aspirin.

Reye's Syndrome

Children under age 12 who take aspirin may develop life-threatening Reye's

Syndrome. It causes multiple organ disorders and failure. The brain may swell.

Cardiac arrest may occur. There is no cure for it. Children often die or are

left with permanent disabilities. Though rare, the effects of Reye's Syndrome

are so severe that giving aspirin to a child should simply never be done.

Pancreatic Cancer

A study of nearly 90,000 women at Brigham and Women's Hospital, spanning 18

years, shows a 58% increased risk of pancreatic cancer when the participants

took more than two aspirin a week. When they took more than 14, the risk became

86% higher.

Gastrointestinal Harm

Bleeding and ulcers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are no small matter.

20,000 Americans die each year from such damage caused by aspirin, and another

100,000 go to the hospital for these injuries.

NSAID-SSRI Cocktail

Researchers in East Anglia, UK, did a metastudy of four trials, which followed

153,000 patients who took a combination of NSAIDs and SSRIs, selective serotonin

reuptake inhibitors - drugs routinely prescribed for depression and other

emotional issues. Those who took only SSRIs had a 2.4 times greater risk of

gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Those who took only NSAIDs had a 3.2 times greater

risk of such hemorrhages. When an SSRI was taken with an NSAID, the risk rose to

6.3 times that of people who took neither.

Buffered Aspirin

To reduce the risk of GI problems from aspirin, people often take buffered

forms. These pills are coated with a chemical that neutralizes stomach acid,

allowing people who were previously unable to take aspirin to avoid suffering

the symptoms of gastric pain. The result, though, has been an increase in GI

bleeding. The Boston University School of Medicine did a study of 550 patients

with GI bleeding. They found that those who took more than 325 mg. of buffered

aspirin daily were seven times more likely to suffer from GI problems.

From Naturalnews . See: http://www.naturalnews.com/023280.html

=========================================================

WHY ASPIRIN COULD HELP TO REDUCE CERTAIN CANCERS ?

Because it release NO : Nitric oxide

Study :

Nitric oxide–releasing aspirin and indomethacin are potent inhibitors against

colon cancer in azoxymethane-treated rats: effects on molecular targets

========================================================

A BETTER WAY TO GET NITRIC OXIDE

Following the safe protocolof Dr Louis Iganorro ( Nobel Laureate in Medicine )

By taking L-Arginine ( at least four grs a day ) and

L-Citruline ( 1000 mg a day)

==============================================

> Aspirin May Help Treat Colon Cancer

> Study Shows Aspirin Use Boosts Survival Rate of People With Colon Cancer

>

> By Kelli

> WebMD Health News

>

> Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

>

> Aug. 11, 2009 -- Certain patients with colorectal cancer who begin regular

aspirin use after the disease develops may greatly improve their odds of

survival, researchers in Boston report.

>

> Aspirin is often praised for its anticancer effects. Numerous studies have

suggested that regular aspirin use may help lower the risk of colon polyps and

colorectal cancer. Now, a study published in this week's issue of the Journal of

the American Medical Association is among the first to link aspirin use and

colon cancer survival.

>

> For the study, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber

Cancer Institute, and Brigham and Women's Hospital looked at the link between

aspirin use and survival among 1,279 adults with stage I, II, or III

nonmetastatic colorectal cancer, or cancer that had not spread to distant areas.

>

> The patients had enrolled in two large studies in the 1980s prior to their

cancer diagnosis and agreed to answer questions about their health over the

years. Researchers followed them through June 2008.

>

> In general, study participants who reported aspirin use after being diagnosed

with colorectal cancer had a 29% lower risk of colorectal cancer death and a 21%

lower risk of overall death, compared to non-aspirin users. The researchers note

that the main reasons reported for aspirin use included arthritis,

musculoskeletal pain, and treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

>

> Taking aspirin for the first time after a diagnosis improved a patient's odds

even more. Among the specific study findings:

>

> Patients with colorectal cancer who started regular aspirin use for the first

time after diagnosis had a 47% lower risk of colorectal cancer death and 32%

lower risk of overall death than nonusers of aspirin.

> The survival advantage was seen only in those with -2-positive tumors. Most

colorectal tumors are -2-positive.

> Aspirin-Resistant Colon Cancer

> The study showed that starting regular aspirin use for the first time after a

colorectal cancer diagnosis greatly reduced the risk of colorectal

cancer-related death, but taking aspirin before colorectal cancer developed and

continuing to do so after diagnosis did not significantly influence survival

rates. In other words, former regular aspirin users do not reap as much benefit

as those who are new to regular aspirin use.

>

> That might raise an eyebrow or two, particularly since aspirin use has been

linked to reduced risk of colorectal cancer.

>

> The researchers say the finding suggests that some colorectal cancer tumors

may be resistant to aspirin's effects, while others may be especially

susceptible. Aspirin is believed to block a substance called cyclooxygenase-2

(-2). -2 promotes inflammation and cell growth. If the substance is

overexpressed, the tumor is called -2-positive; tumors that do not

overexpress the substance are called -2-negative tumors.

>

> -2-positive colorectal tumors may be especially sensitive to aspirin's

anticancer effects. In the study, the survival improvements were seen primarily

among those with such tumors. Specifically, patients with -2-positive

colorectal tumors who used aspirin regularly after diagnosis had a 61% lower

risk of colorectal cancer death and 38% lower overall death risk than

non-aspirin users.

>

> Survival in those with the -2-negative tumors did not appear to be affected

by aspirin use.

>

> The new findings could one day lead to aspirin-based therapies for patients

with newly diagnosed, early-stage colorectal cancer. However, the researchers do

not recommend the routine use of aspirin or related medicines for cancer

treatment until further studies are done. Aspirin and other -2 inhibitors can

cause potentially dangerous side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding.

>

> In an accompanying editorial published in the same journal, Alfred I. Neugut,

MD, PhD, of Columbia University, adds that aspirin-related survival studies

should also be done in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

>

> SOURCES: News release, Northwestern University. De Felice, F. Proceedings of

the National Academy of Sciences, Feb. 2, 2009.

>

> ©2009 WebMD, LLC. .

>

[Guest guest]

I lessen my itching with high dose vitamin C (I use powder, 1 tsp or more in cup

of water) plus I sprinkle lots of turmeric on my salad. Both are excellent for

inflammation and itching. phine

>

> I read the article yesterday and did a google for Hodgkin's Lymphoma and

asprin and there is a benefit according to the research.  Anyone with HL should

look it up and read about it.  I was also able to find something about using

asprin with Cimetidine (Tagamet) to decrease the itching symptom.  Since I

suffer miserably from insatiable itching, which worsens as the day goes on, I am

going to give it a try.  The itching is a symptom of Hodgkin's in 30-35% of

people who get it, and I am in that lucky group.

>  

> Debbie

>