Posted on 02/08/2023 8:31:41 PM PST by ConservativeMind
New research has found that low-dose aspirin may improve ovarian cancer survival.
The study followed more than 900 Australian women newly-diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and asked them how often they used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin.
Dr. Azam Majidi said the women who reported taking NSAIDs at least four days a week in the 12 months after diagnosis, lived longer on average than occasional or non-users. Most of the frequent users were taking daily low-dose aspirin.
"Our findings suggest that frequent NSAID use might improve survival for women with ovarian cancer, regardless of whether they start taking the drugs before or after diagnosis," Dr. Majidi said.
"We found the difference would translate to an average of an extra 2.5 months' survival in the five years post-diagnosis. While this might not sound like a lot, it is significant for ovarian cancer. The disease is often diagnosed at an advanced stage when the prognosis is poor, and treatment options are limited."
Ovarian cancer can be hard to detect and usually isn't discovered until stages three or four, when the five-year survival rate is just 29%. It is Australia's deadliest gynecological cancer.
Up to 80% of women experience recurrence of the cancer after treatment. However, the study suggested that in those who frequently used NSAIDs, the cancer did not come back as quickly.
Dr. Majidi said the findings offer hope that low-dose aspirin may help ovarian cancer survival at a population-wide level, while researchers continue to search for better therapies. However, she also stressed that aspirin is not safe for everyone so women should not start taking the drugs without consulting their doctor.
"While more targeted and advanced treatments show great promise, at the moment they are very expensive and not accessible to everyone—especially in poorer countries."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
The hub & I take one every evening.
IIRC, aspirin helps prevent colon cancer. And of course, it is the cheapest medicine available OTC to avoid death from heart attacks.
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