An Aspirin a day....

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KerryMac
KerryMac Member Posts: 3,529

Has anyone seen this??

http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/JCO.2009.22.7918v1

An aspirin a day cuts reoccurance by 1/2. I am going to bring it up wiyth my Onc when I see her in April.

Wow.

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Comments

  • tamlyn110
    tamlyn110 Member Posts: 195
    edited February 2010

    I was just listening to that on the news. They had a little different stats but same concept. Would be nice if it really does work.

  • Let-It-Be
    Let-It-Be Member Posts: 325
    edited February 2010

    OMG, it's like I learn something new that I could be doing everyday!  Please post back with what you find out from your oncologist.  Thanks!

  • Texas357
    Texas357 Member Posts: 1,552
    edited February 2010

    The stats on ABC News said 2-4 aspirin a week had more benefit than 5 or more. I think it was something like a 70% reduction vs. 63% for those who took more aspirin. Still the researchers said this is a first study and more studies are needed before they can make a recommendation.

    The speculation is that aspirin works by anti-inflammation -- it starves the cancer's blood supply.

    So I'm thinking ... 2 aspirin a week hardly seems harmful. Not enough to cause stomach problems. And I've always tolerated aspirin well. Hmmmm.

  • lexislove
    lexislove Member Posts: 2,645
    edited February 2010

    This is interesting....

    I read in one of Dr. Oz's books ( yes...I know...Dr. Oz..lol)  and it mentioned Aspirin as well.

    I did bring it up with my onc, and he wasn't too convinced and didnt agree (he gave some explaination). I cant remember exactly why, this was almost a year ago. I am seeing my onc on Friday so maybe Ill bring it up again.

  • KerryMac
    KerryMac Member Posts: 3,529
    edited February 2010

    Well, it doesn't interfer with Arimidex or Tamoxifen...think I will ask my Onc first though too. 

  • Claire_in_Seattle
    Claire_in_Seattle Member Posts: 4,570
    edited February 2010

    I got a heads up on this a couple of hours ago from on this from the horse's mouth, Michelle Holmes, who is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard.  Article is in this week's Journal of Clinical Oncology.  Was embargoed until earlier today.

    So give your poor oncologist a chance to read this highly technical article and digest prior to beating on him or her!!!

    But certainly something to look at doing.

    I have been buried in work so haven't had a chance to review/digest but her summary to me was "We found that women with early stage breast cancer who took aspirin were approximately 50% less likely to die from breast cancer than those women with breast cancer who did not take aspirin."

    I went online and only saw last week's articles so may not have been posted yet. - Claire

    A quick glance also indicates that these women were also less likely to die from other causes.

  • Merilee
    Merilee Member Posts: 3,047
    edited February 2010

    Just read this article, frikin amazing.

  • marejo
    marejo Member Posts: 1,356
    edited February 2010

    Just heard it on the news tonight.  How encouraging.  Although, I did get an aggressive breast cancer (almost 5 years ago) - Stage 2B, her2 +++ - had a large tumor 4 cm. my cancer did not go spread to any other organs.  I, always did take a lot of aspirin (headaches) - hmmm, gets you thinking. 

    Since my reconstruction my plastic surgeon recommended 325 mg. of aspirin a day - for the first 30 days after the surgery HOWEVER he told me he takes 325 mg. of aspirn a day for other benefits...colon health.....heart/stroke etc. so I continued to take 1 full strength aspirin (325 mg.) since my surgery  1 1/2 years ago......and I will continue.  I will be a 5 year NED survivor this June 2010.  Thank God.

    Super encouraging..........

    Mary Jo

  • lexislove
    lexislove Member Posts: 2,645
    edited February 2010

    Looks like Ill be adding Aspirin to the list of all the other "pills" I take....lol.

    Whats one more right?! Laughing

  • lexislove
    lexislove Member Posts: 2,645
    edited February 2010

    O ya!!!

    My onc was saying something about the risks of long term Aspirin use. Can't remember what though! Yell

    Ill ask again.

  • Gayleebug
    Gayleebug Member Posts: 166
    edited February 2010

    WOW!  yes!  Kerry and all ... thank you.  You bring me hope.  I've been taking a baby aspirin (81) since I finished treatment in August.  Mary Jo -- did your PS say why he recommended a full strength aspirin, as oppsed to the 81 mg?  The 81 is the standard, I thought, for heart/stroke prevention?

  • candie1971
    candie1971 Member Posts: 4,820
    edited February 2010

    I take 81mgper day for heart health per my cardiologist..does this count? I could not take full strength aspirin as it burns my stomach.

  • Mamita49
    Mamita49 Member Posts: 538
    edited February 2010

    So, what is it that is in the pill that makes it be good, besides getting rid of headaches ????????????????

  • Husband11
    Husband11 Member Posts: 2,264
    edited February 2010

    Wow!!!  Bev and I were just about to change the channel, and that story came on the news.  I run to the computer and do a search, and up comes BC.org and Kerry Mac!!

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited February 2010

    It does sound pretty heartening especially, as mentioned, for those with early stage cancer.

    But, what about people that have been taking anti-inflamatories for years for arthritis? Wouldn't that have had the same effect, as it seems to be the anti-inflamatory properties of aspirin that were helping? I've taken huge amounts of anti-inflamatories for at least the last 18 years. My cancer surely hasn't been around for longer than that. Maybe it's something else in the aspirin that is helping...Undecided The Indians used to chew the birch bark which is where aspirin originates (if I'm not mistaken), I wonder what their rate of cancers were.

    I guess it's just one of those hit or miss things, but certainly can't hurt to add to the arsenal. I've dropped alcohol for the same high recurrence rate, so to add more aspirin can't hurt. I, too, take 81 mg of aspirin to help my heart. I'll just up the dose.

  • Husband11
    Husband11 Member Posts: 2,264
    edited February 2010

    Since the study is observational, cause and mechanism are speculative.  But, the fact that aspirin does not seem to prevent occurance, but does significantly lower metastasis (approx 70%), they speculate it is the anti-inflammatory effect that is stiffling the metastasis.  Perhaps without inflammation, the process that allows tissue invasion and vascular development, critical to metastasis taking hold, may be dampened.

  • AnneW
    AnneW Member Posts: 4,050
    edited February 2010

    Wasn't this thought to also be the case with colon cancer some years ago, but then refuted later? My memory is a bit fuzzy on this. Maybe it was the COX-2 inhibitors and not aspirin?

    Anne

  • Husband11
    Husband11 Member Posts: 2,264
    edited February 2010

    A quick search suggest they still believe aspirin reduces the risk of death from colorectal cancer.

  • ananda8
    ananda8 Member Posts: 2,755
    edited February 2010

    Here is a link to some articles about cancer and aspirin.  Evidently low dose aspirin does not help.

    http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/aspirin-cancer-prevention

    My husband is on Plavix and one 325 mg of aspirin a day.  He has five stents.  He has to be very careful about what OTC cold medicine he takes because the combination of aspirin, Plavix and some cold medications cause severe stomach problems.

    Aspirin really is a wonder drug but it is a drug.  Here is a link to the side effects of aspirin.

    http://www.drugs.com/sfx/aspirin-side-effects.html

    Here is an article about aspirin and recurrence of breast cancer. It said that low dose aspirin does help.  Needless to say, more study is needed.

    http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-sci-aspirin17-2010feb17,0,4190955.story

  • angelsabove
    angelsabove Member Posts: 363
    edited February 2010

    Could you just imagine....THIS JUST MAY BE THE ANSWER. I can see it now new diagnosed patients are told well just skip this chemo...go to local store and get you some Bayer Aspirin.....OMG....that would BE AWESOME.....gotta start taken some.....One a day RIGHT????

  • karen1956
    karen1956 Member Posts: 6,503
    edited February 2010

    After reading here earlier today, saw the story on the NBC nightly news....hopefully I will remember to ask my onc next month...I don't take aspirin, but do take ibuprofen for pain.....there has got to be something better than the d*** AI's!!!!

  • KerryMac
    KerryMac Member Posts: 3,529
    edited February 2010

    If people could keep us updated on what they get told by their Oncs, that would be great!

    I know there are gastric SE's to Aspirin, not sure there is any other downside??


  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2010

    I know what the doctors will say, "we need at least 10 years for the studies".  I will be continuing Aspirin every day and not waiting for 10 years of studies.

  • everyminute
    everyminute Member Posts: 1,805
    edited February 2010

    Im going to buy a bottle - I am gonna use the Zometa approach here - I will start taking it NOW you can tell me later if I should stop. 

    I figure the fact that I had a hyst (more likely to get heart disease) and am on tamox (blood clots) - this is probably a win win for me.  God willing.

    Girls - between this, Zometa and exercise our recurrence rates must be in the single digits! Or at least that is what I am telling myself!

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited February 2010

    You can get coated aspirins. Aspirin can also cause excess bleeding as it thins your blood. You can also get stomach ulcers from it, especially if you have it with orange juice in the morning.

    I used to take COX-2 inibitors. They were wonderful! Truly wonder drugs. Bextra was the best! Then they got pulled off the market due to heart issues.....sigh. I even told my doc I'd rather have more heart issues than the pain of the arthritis! It was most likely the medication already being taken when Bextra was added that casued the problems, but hearts trumps arthritis every time!

  • KerryMac
    KerryMac Member Posts: 3,529
    edited February 2010

    So, Mary, are you going to take full strength??

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2010

    I love Everyminutes comments.  Go Girl!!!

  • everyminute
    everyminute Member Posts: 1,805
    edited February 2010

    I dont know - I just pulled the full article and was trying to wade through it to see what dosing was.  Oddly - I used to take a ton of ibuprophen pre diagnosis because of heavy duty exercise but dont anymore - guess I need to work harder!

    I cant find dosage anywhere in the article though it does not seem to be referring to baby dose (ie preventing hd). So I am going to buy a bottle of buffered asprin and take a few and see what happens.

  • everyminute
    everyminute Member Posts: 1,805
    edited February 2010

    this is from the cure article - so maybe baby aspirin will work...

    While researchers don't know exactly why aspirin has the effect it does, they suspect it reduces inflammation, which is linked to cancer development. The researchers also did not collect data on the dose, but surmised that women who take aspirin regularly are doing so for heart disease prevention. The dose recommended for that is 81 mg a day.

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