A preliminary study on the postoperative survival of patients given aspirin after resection for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus or adenocarcinoma of the cardia.
BACKGROUND
We examined the effect of aspirin on survival following resection for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus or adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia.


METHODS
Patients who underwent esophagectomy for these cancers between May 2000 and December 2002 were allocated to one of three groups and given daily either a low dose of aspirin, placebo, or no tablets.


RESULTS
The 5-year survival for all patients on aspirin (445) was 51.2%, placebo (658) 41%, and no tablet (495) 42.3% (P = 0.04 for difference between treatments). The 5-year survival for all SCC patients on aspirin (267) was 49.8%, placebo (433) 42.2%, and no tablet (343) 41.2% (P = 0.26). There was a significant improvement in survival for patients with adenocarcinoma of the cardia on aspirin compared with the two control groups combined (P = 0.029). Survival for T2N0M0 SCC patients was significantly improved with aspirin (71) compared with placebo (167) or no tablet (134) (P = 0.0004). However, there was no significant difference between the survival curves for T2N0M0 adenocarcinoma patients on aspirin (21) and the two control groups combined (65) (P = 0.29).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this preliminary study support further investigation of aspirin as adjuvant therapy to improve survival in subsets of postesophagectomy patients.
Liu
Jun-Feng
JF
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fourth Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China. liujf@heinfo.net
Jamieson
Glyn G
GG
Wu
Tie-Cheng
TC
Zhu
Gui-Jun
GJ
Drew
Paul A
PA
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D002299:Cardia; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D016019:Survival Analysis
D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin; D001241:Aspirin; D005472:Fluorouracil