"The report just released from the Nurses' Health Study, in a rather understated way, offers 2 million American women who have had breast cancer some vital and actionable information. Taking a single aspirin tablet—a baby aspirin or one adult pill—every other day can be lifesaving. (In fact, were these aspirin tablets a hot new biotech drug, we would be popping champagne right now.) The long-term, low-dose aspirin program was initiated a year or more after the cancer diagnosis as an add-on to treatment, not as a substitute for it, to control the fate of tumor cells silently left behind.
The surprise finding: Those who made aspirin a regular habit, consuming low doses two to five times a week (mostly to help their hearts), were 71 percent less likely to have a deadly recurrence of their breast cancer compared to those who were taking little or no aspirin."
"The findings are nonetheless provocative, reinforcing the notion that the beneficial effects of aspirin on cancer survival may rest with its anti-inflammatory effects. We do know that deadly cancers hijack the inflammatory system to spread and invade distant organs, but we understand woefully little about the process for any given cancer and how to treat it. Aspirin has proved itself as a safe, effective, and inexpensive preventive medicine that cuts the risk for colon and prostate cancer and for years has served as a way to prevent heart disease and stroke.
The big caveat is that the study was "observational" and not a blue-chip randomized trial, making many hesitant to crow about its results. The heart disease and stroke benefits are indication enough for any woman to start a low-dose aspirin program—with her doctor's oversight. For the 2 million breast cancer survivors of today, the NHS is compelling enough to ask your doctor, "Why wait?""
Interesting study and it helps support what Barry Sears has said in the CrossFit Journal series on the Zone. He pointed out the anti-inflammatory role of aspirin as the modern cure-all. While I like a lot of the hormonal balance information he shares, I would like more emphasis on a truly anti-inflammatory diet, which would emphasize food quality not just by glycemic load but by inflammation factor. I think we can dietarily reduce inflammation and forgo the need to take low levels of aspirin. I like the "use food as the drug" alternative approach.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, good read!
I also want to say thank you for coming out to the Coaches Prep this past weekend in Santa Cruz! It was great to meet you and spend time sharing our experiences. I know I learned a lot and I really enjoyed the coaching experience I received. I love that you are sharing great information with your readership, so if you would like to link to my health and fitness blog, I would be honored. It's:
www.feastingonfitness.com
I'll definitely add yours to the blogs I follow! Thank you for the wealth of new information to explore!
Christy, well put. I look forward to the day when I can measure my inflammation levels cheaply, daily, and have a context on their meaning. IOW - food, aspirin, vitamin D, fish oil, fitness - all impact inflammation. When we can measure the output of that inflam black box - "Inflam is a 9 today, up from 8 yesterday, but better the healthy average of 10" for example - we'll truly be in the driver's seat of health.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kindness and warmth last weekend, and continued success forging the next generation of elite fitness. Looking forward to reading your blog!