How aspirin works to reduce cancer risk

ASA is short for aspirin.  

This has been around for decades and has been a true miracle drug.  It has been shown to reduce our risk of cancer but for unexplained reasons.

Researchers now believe they have unlocked the mystery.  

A study I was reading about in my Fort Myers cosmetic surgery practice suggests these drugs slow the accumulation of a certain type of DNA change called somatic genome abnormalities or S.G.A. for short.  These lead to uncontrolled cell growth.  

The study was conducted over 12 years in patients who had Barrett’s esophagus with acid reflux.  They did serial biopsies of the diseased tissue.  

Overall, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was associated with a 90% reduction in the rate of mutations.

MIRACLE DRUG!

Dr. Robert Brueck MD, who practices plastic surgery in Fort Myers, Florida, likes to share good news with his blog readers.

This is good news. A drug many of us take everyday may be a key drug to prevent cancer and keep it in check.

A series of new studies shows that common everyday aspirin just may be the key to ward off cancer. Oxford University studies done to test aspirin’s effects on the heart, showed that not only were these people less likely to have a heart attack but also 23% less likely to develop cancer over a 3 year period versus those who took NO aspirin.

Over a 5 year period they had a 37% lower risk of dying from cancer.

They also conducted a study in people with cancer and found that those who took an aspirin a day had a lower rate of metastasis. Study author Peter Rothwell said “no drug has been shown before to prevent distant metastasis.”

"Miracle Drug" May Treat Breast Cancer - Dr. Brueck, Fort Myers Breast Surgeon Reports

This report by Dr. Robert J. Brueck, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
practicing in Fort Myers and Cape Coral, Florida, is one in a series presenting news which comes to Dr. Brueck's attention and may be of medical interest to his patients.
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At one time, promoters of aspirin and its manifold therapeutic values described the little white pill as a "miracle drug". Now it appears there may be another therapeutic achievement of aspirin.

A recent report in the Journal of Oncology was based on a study called the Nurses’ Health Study, done at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

It covered a group of women who were diagnosed with breast cancer and included over 4,000 participants. The study occurred from 1976 to 2002, with a follow up continued in 2006.

It was interesting because they found that women who consumed 2 to 5 tablets of aspirin a week had a lower incidence of recurrence and it decreased their risk of dying from the disease by 50%.

The question becomes what effect did the aspirin have?

Epidemiologists at Harvard who were part of this study say that more data is needed and more studies are needed. They don’t really understand why this association occurs but it is a very important study and there may be some beneficial effects from taking aspirin if you have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Many individuals take aspirin because they have arthritis or are concerned about clotting following MI’s so aspirin may have more benefits than we realize and it is one of the cheapest pharmaceuticals that you can buy over the counter.

The article appeared in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. It was called the Nurses’ Health Study.

Stay tuned. More will be coming. I think it is a very important study and may have some impact of women who suffer from breast cancer.

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For more information about Dr. Brueck, visit his web site at http://www.Beauty-by-Brueck.com. Thank you.