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Aspirin
Against Cancer
"'Cancer] patients suffer from a tumor-suppressed immune system. The
phenomena is attributable to the tumor itself, which promotes and
secretes 'immune-suppressive] factors such as prostaglandin E2 (PG),
known to be elevated in cancer patients... Cyclooxygenase (COX)
inhibitors that block PG synthesis demonstrate remarkable anti-cancer
effects. Evidence has accumulated showing the inhibition of COX-2 plays
a key role in suppressing ...carcinogenesis...
"The data presented
here are to the best of our knowledge the first to demonstrate a
...COX-2 inhibitor's 'immune-restoring] effect in 'humans] and provide
the rationale for the use of NSAIDs 'aspirin and its spin-offs like
naproxen and ibuprofen] for chemoprevention or 'supplemental] cancer
therapies."
By Land, Laufferf,
Clausen, Lohr, et al., Dept. of Otolaryngologie, Inst. for Med. Info.,
Biometry and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians.-U. of Munich, D-81377,
Germany, and Vaecgene Biotech, Munich. In The FASEB Journal, vol. 17,
2003.
DETAILS: This study
has been seized upon to initiate more exhaustive studies by drug companies
pushing aspirin spinoffs like Celebrex and Vioxx. Since there is little
money to make in selling plain old aspirin, the promotions to come may
be of the benefits of these big money makers. Meanwhile, other studies
that have examined these over-priced products have shown them to be
INFERIOR to aspirin.
For more on these
products and on aspirin itself,
CLICK HERE TO SEARCH BY SUBJECT.
So how come
oncologists have not used aspirin widely in treating cancer patients?
Since there is little money in selling aspirin, the drug company
salespeople are not out giving free theatre and baseball tickets to
induce their use. Rather, they sell the physicians on the idea of using
more expensive drugs which, especially in the case of aspirin, may be
LESS EFFECTIVE.
back
to Cancer index

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