Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 19: A new study has revealed that a common over-the-counter medication, aspirin, can cut the risk of colorectal cancer recurrence by nearly 50% for patients whose tumors carry specific mutations in the PI3K signaling pathway.
The large clinical trial, ALASCCA, conducted across 33 hospitals in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, involved 3,508 patients who had undergone surgery for colon or rectal cancer (stages I-III). Patients were genetically tested for PI3K pathway mutations, which included PIK3CA, PIK3R1, and PTEN genes. Around 37-40% of participants carried these mutations. Those patients were then randomly assigned to receive either 160 mg of aspirin daily or a placebo for three years.
For patients with PI3K mutations, daily aspirin use reduced the risk of cancer recurrence by about 55% compared to those on placebo. The benefit was observed across cancer types, stages, and genders. Researchers attribute aspirin’s protective effect to its anti-inflammatory properties, inhibition of platelet function, and interference with the overactive PI3K pathway, which cancers exploit for growth and survival.
While the findings are promising, aspirin is not without risks. Some patients experienced gastrointestinal bleeding, allergic reactions, or other bleeding events. Experts caution that aspirin therapy should only be undertaken under medical supervision, particularly for individuals with pre-existing conditions such as stomach ulcers or bleeding disorders.
The study underscores the potential of precision medicine—using genetic profiling to tailor treatment. Routine testing for PI3K pathway mutations after colorectal cancer surgery may soon become standard care, allowing eligible patients to benefit from a low-cost, widely accessible drug.
Colorectal cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with nearly two million new diagnoses each year. This breakthrough could offer a simple, affordable strategy to improve long-term outcomes and reduce recurrence in high-risk patients.