Aspirin Use Associated with Increased Survival in Biliary Tract Cancer
, by DCEG Staff
Aspirin use after biliary tract cancer (BTC) diagnosis was associated with increased patient survival, according to a study by DCEG investigators published in JAMA Oncology on October 17, 2019.
BTC is a collection of rare malignancies with very poor outcomes, with just 5-15% of patients surviving five years, and median survival of less than one year due to late-stage at diagnosis. Aspirin has anti-inflammatory properties, which may slow the growth and spread of cancer.
Sarah Jackson, Ph.D., post-doctoral fellow, and Jill Koshiol, Ph.D., Earl Stadtman Investigator, both in the Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, and colleagues, analyzed data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink on adult patients diagnosed with BTC between 1990-2017. Aspirin use was associated with reduced risk of death across all four subtypes of BTC: gallbladder, cholangiocarcinoma, ampulla of Vater, and overlapping lesions of the biliary tract. These findings support the use of aspirin to extend overall survival of BTC patients and is aligned with current standard of care.
Reference
Jackson, SS, et al, Association Between Aspirin Use and Biliary Tract Cancer Survival. JAMA Oncology. Oct 17, 2019. DOI:10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.4328. [Epub before print]