Aspirin Use After Diagnosis Improves Survival in Older Adults with Colon Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study

• Published in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) Vol. 60; no. 12; pp. 2232 - 2236
• Main Authors: Reimers, Marlies S., Bastiaannet, Esther, van Herk-Sukel, Myrthe P. P., Lemmens, Valery E. P., van den Broek, Colette B. M., van de Velde, Cornelis J. H., de Craen, Anton J. M., Liefers, Gerrit Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, NJ Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2012; Wiley-Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Aspirin; Aspirin - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; colon cancer; Colonic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Colonic Neoplasms - drug therapy; Colonic Neoplasms - mortality; Colorectal cancer; elderly; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; General aspects; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Older people; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; survival; Survival analysis; Survival Rate; Tumors; Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase; Retrospective study; Acetylsalicylic acid; Improvement; Colon cancer; Cohort study; Intestinal disease; aspirin; Salicylates; Diagnosis; Public health; Human; Enzyme; Use; Enzyme inhibitor; Malignant tumor; Survival; Antiplatelet agent; Colonic disease; Non steroidal antiinflammatory agent; Gerontology; Analgesic; Antipyretic; Digestive diseases; Oxidoreductases; Elderly; Cancer; Geriatrics
• ISSN: 0002-8614; 1532-5415; 1532-5415
• DOI: 10.1111/jgs.12033

Objectives To assess survival in relation to aspirin use after diagnosis in older adults with colon cancer. Design Subgroup analysis of a previously published cohort and retrospective study. Setting Individuals registered in the Eindhoven Cancer Registry (ECR) between 1998 and 2007, linked to prescriptions of low‐dose aspirin (80 mg) registered in a community pharmacy database. Participants Five hundred thirty‐six individuals aged 70 and older diagnosed with colon cancer with or without aspirin use after diagnosis. Measurements Survival was analyzed with user status as a time‐dependent covariate. Multivariate Poisson regression survival models were used to study the effect of aspirin on overall survival. Results One hundred seven participants (20.0%) started aspirin after being diagnosed with colon cancer; 429 (80.0%) were not prescribed aspirin. Three hundred thirty‐nine participants (63.2%) had died by the end of follow‐up. Aspirin use after diagnosis was associated with longer overall survival (rate ratio (RR) = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.38–0.70, P < .001). Multivariate proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that aspirin use was associated with longer overall survival (adjusted RR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.44–0.81, P = .001). Conclusion Aspirin use after the diagnosis of colon cancer in older adults was associated with longer survival. Low‐dose aspirin could be used as an effective adjuvant therapy in older adults with colon cancer.