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FRIDAY, Oct. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) – Take two aspirins and reduce your risk of liver cancer? New research suggests that this weekly routine could help.
The researchers found that taking two pills at the standard dose (325 milligrams) or more per week was associated with a 49% reduced risk of liver cancer.
"Regular use of aspirin has significantly reduced the risk of developing [liver cancer], compared to the use of little or no aspirin. And we also found that the risk gradually decreased with increasing aspirin dose and duration of use, "said Dr. Tracey Simon, lead author of the study, Gastroenterology Researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital from Boston.
It should be noted, however, that the study did not prove that aspirin reduced the risk of causing liver damage, but simply that there was an association.
For this study, researchers analyzed the long-term data of more than 45,800 women and 87,500 men in the United States.
Investigators reported that the protective effect of aspirin increased with time. The risk of liver cancer was 59% lower among those who regularly took aspirin for five years or more.
However, the risk reduction decreased after patients stopped taking aspirin. And he completely disappeared eight years after stopping aspirin.
Regular use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) was not associated with a reduced risk of cancer of the liver, according to the study. The results were published on October 4 in JAMA Oncology.
The results corroborate the results of previous studies, the researchers said.
However, Simon said that additional research is still needed. "Given that regular use of aspirin carries an increased risk of bleeding, the next step should be to study its impact on populations with established liver disease, as this group is already at risk of primary liver cancer, "she said in a press release from a hospital.
Liver cancer is relatively rare, but has increased in the United States over the past 40 years. In addition, the researchers noted that liver cancer mortality rates had increased more rapidly than those of any other cancer.
Dr. Andrew Chan, an experienced author of the study, pointed out that "the use of aspirin is already recommended for the prevention of heart disease and colorectal cancer in some American adults". Chan is the head of the clinical and translational epidemiology unit of the hospital.
"These data also add to a growing list of cancers for which aspirin appears to have anticancer activity," he said in a press release.
This could be a reason for more patients to discuss an aspirin-based diet with their doctor, Chan said.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about liver cancer.
SOURCE: Massachusetts General Hospital, press release of October 4, 2018
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