Aspirin & Cancer as Explained by Dr JB Lim

The blogger’s note: Sometime ago a friend of mine forwarded an article to me on the risk of consuming western medicines (西藥的危害--致命的殺傷力) written by a Traditional Chinese Physician practicing in the United States and I have posted this in my blog (see: http://taionn.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html). It was mentioned that daily consumption of ASPIRIN has a percentage of 85% of causing pancreatic cancer (“許多人被西醫告知每天一片阿斯匹林可以預防心臟病，這是完全錯誤的；2004年的醫學研究報告來自美國醫學會的說明：沒有任何證據顯示每天一片阿斯匹林可以預防心臟病，反而有許多證據顯示每天一片阿斯匹林你會有超過85%的機會得到胰臟癌，因為它是一種強酸劑。”). I feel obliged that retired nutritionist and medical researcher Dr JB Lim took the trouble to offer his professional comment and share his knowledge and experience with the readers of this blog as follows:

Sunday, 22 April, 2012 11:16 PM

From: lim juboo

To: Tai Onn Lau

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Aspirin causes cancer?
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Your article quoting a Traditional Chinese Physician in the United States claiming aspirin causes pancreatic cancer caught me by surprise. I have not heard this in my entire 25 years of professional career as a nutritionist and medical researcher.

Neither have I heard this mentioned in my undergraduate nor as a postgraduate at the University of London, at Cambridge or at MIT. This is the first time I heard this from an e-mail. So I am compelled to comment.
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I thought it was the other way round. Several large scales studies published in several prestigious medical journals like Lancet has shown aspirin (acetylsalicylate) at low doses say a 100 mg a day, is not only cancer-protective , but it also reduces the chances of metastasis (spreading to other organs) if a patient already has cancer.

The normal strength of aspirin presented in a tablet sold in a pharmacy is 300 mg of acetylsalicylate. Aspirin is an organic salt of salicylic acid – the acetyl radical tags on to the salicylic acid to form acetylsalicylic acid or acetylsalicylate which is aspirin.

Aspirin nowadays is actually manufactured synthetically. It was actually a natural drug called salicin extracted from a plant called Willow bark. This was used extensively by hundreds of thousands of generations across all cultures for fever and pain relief since 2000 BC until 1763 when its remarkable powers against many common ailments was described at a scientific meeting of the prestigious Royal Society in London.

Good old aspirin is well known traditionally as a very effective analgesic (pain-killer) an anti-pyretic (fever-reducing agent), and for its anti-inflammatory properties. It was originally a herbal medicine. It was not until 1828 when pure salicin crystals were obtained. This was later made into a synthetic form by the drug industry – to save the willow bark tree I suppose, and to mass produce this remarkable medicine cheaply.

In recent years numerous studies have shown aspirin in low dosage has a remarkable ability to cut down the risk of heart attacks and cerebral vascular accident (stroke) by thinning the blood and preventing anti-platelet aggregation.

One such (pharmacological) anti-blood clotting effect of aspirin is, it inhibits the biosynthesis of thromboxane, an enzyme in the blood to block prostaglandin release by blood platelets to prevent the thrombocytes (platelets) from sticking together (platelets aggregation).

That is why patients already on some other anti-coagulants or blood thinning medications should not take aspirin; else the patient may bleed uncontrollably.

The other disadvantage - ADR (Adverse Drug Reaction) with aspirin as with all NSAID (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) is its effect on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Aspirin can cause gastric (stomach) bleeding, gastrointestinal ulcers, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). But these ADR (severe form of side-effects) is only presented if aspirin is taken n high doses.

This effect is not is observed in low doses of say 100-150 mg a day, especially if taken ‘cum cibo’ (taken with food). 150 mg aspirin is just half a tablet, and Cardiprin (preventive medication against heart attacks) is just 100 mg.

Later, more studies showed that this remarkable age-old medicine could not only prevent cancers, but even preventing cancer from metastasis (spreading to distant organs)

In one such study, Professor Peter Rothwell of the Nuffield Department at the University of Oxford and his colleagues had published two of their findings, one in The Lancet and one in The Lancet Oncology to demonstrate the beneficial effects of low dosage aspirin against various types of cancers. They found aspirin confers the largest reductions on colorectal cancer (colon and rectal cancers) and in oesophageal (gullet) cancer, with smaller protective effects on several other common cancers, notably most types of breast cancers, prostate cancers, and some form of lung cancers. Other researchers have also shown the same cancer-protective effects of aspirin.

Although I do not wish to ridicule the Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor on what he claimed, the least he could do is to quote the research studies to support his allegation. His view is just the opposite of the findings and consensus of opinion of other medical researchers. I think he went overboard with his wild statement to say that as much as 85 % of pancreatic cancers is due to people taking a daily dose of aspirin (*) when research scientists worldwide till today cannot even tell us specific causes of pancreatic cancer except suspected broad causes such as (very briefly in point form):

1. Cigarette smoking

2. Age
3. Race
4. Gender (Sex)
5. Religious background
6. Chronic pancreatitis
7. Diabetes
8. Obesity
9. Diet
10. Genetic

This is also just the opposite of epidemiological observations among meat eaters (Scotland) and curry eaters (South Indians) and those populations where their diet is mainly fruits and vegetables who have a much lower incidence of all forms of cancers. This was probably due to the fact that fruits and vegetables, especially curry powder is very rich in salicylates (natural aspirins) and also very rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants to block DNA damage due to cancer producing free radicals

It is in my professional opinion that these two components in fruits and vegetables that drastically cut down the risk of coronary heart disease and cancers across all strata of populations throughout the world, irrespective of race, genetic make-up, age, and other risk factors.

Lastly I fully concur with what the Consultant Cardiologist at the world prestigious Mayo Clinic advice about taking a low dose of aspirin daily at night to prevent AMI (acute myocardial infarction) or heart attacks especially in the early hours of the morning.

Aspirin indeed has a t50 (half-life kinetics) of over 24 hours, and will stay in the blood stream protecting you over the long hours of sleep. I fully agree with him and am of the same mind that that such prophylactic therapy is advised.

But ensure preventive nutrition and other environmental and causative factors are far more important than all kinds of ‘curative’ medication.

jb lim

Note (*): The blogger wishes to clarify that the traditional Chinese medicine doctor did not say in the article that “as much as 85 % of pancreatic cancers is due to people taking a daily dose of aspirin”. What he said was “people taking a daily dose of aspirin stand a 85% chance of suffering from pancreatic cancer”.