Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Study finds aspirin protects against colon cancer
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 21 - 09 - 2009


A daily dose of aspirin can
prevent cancer in people with a genetic disorder that increases
their risk of developing the disease, Reuters quoted scientists as saying today.
The finding could also have important implications for the
wider population, although more research is needed and
unravelling the connection will take some time since the
benefits of aspirin were only seen after several years.
John Burn of the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle
University in Britain said his study might also have uncovered a
simple way of controlling stems cells that make tumours grow.
"We believe that aspirin may have an effect on the survival
of aberrant (faulty) stem cells in the colon," Burn said,
presenting his findings at the ECCO-ESMO European cancer
congress in Berlin.
Burn and colleagues tested 1,071 people with Lynch syndrome
-- an inherited condition that predisposes a person to a range
of cancers, particularly of the colon -- by giving some of them
aspirin and some a placebo.
Follow-up tests after 10 years showed that although there
was no difference in cancer rates after 29 months, a significant
difference was detected after four years, with fewer people in
the aspirin group developing colon cancer, Burn said.
"To date, there have been only six colon cancers in the
aspirin group as opposed to 16 who took placebo," he added.
"There is also a reduction in endometrial cancer."
People with Lynch syndrome have an increased risk of many
cancers including stomach, colon, brain, skin, and prostate.
Women carriers also have a high risk of developing endometrial
and ovarian cancers.
Burn said that although people in the trial stopped taking
aspirin, its effect clearly continued.
Colorectal is the second biggest cause of cancer death in
the United States and Europe, where a total of 560,000 people
develop the disease each year, and 250,000 die from it.
Aspirin, originally developed by Bayer, is a cheap
over-the-counter drug which in low daily doses has been found to
stave off the risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as
chase away occasional aches and pains.
Other scientists have previously found it can reduce the
risk of developing colon cancer and suggested it does so by
blocking the enzyme cyclooxygenase2, or COX-2, which promotes
inflammation and cell division and is found in high levels in
tumours.
But Burn said he thought this explanation was unlikely, and
thinks that aspirin hits faulty stem cells before they mutate
into pre-cancerous cells.
"If aspirin reduced the chances of such cells surviving,
this would explain our results," he said.
Despite its benefits, aspirin is also well known for causing
stomach upsets. In the study, 11 patients on aspirin had stomach
bleeds or ulcers compared with nine on placebo.
The team plans a further study using a larger group of
patients taking differing aspirin doses.


Clic here to read the story from its source.