Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol
Aspirin fails to improve disease-free survival in colorectal cancer trial
January 28, 2025

Aspirin 200 mg daily for 3 years didn’t significantly improve disease-free survival in patients with colorectal cancer post adjuvant therapy, suggesting that aspirin may not be beneficial for secondary prevention in this population.
Study details: The phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled ASCOLT trial was conducted at 66 centers across 11 countries. It included 1,587 patients ≥18 years of age with Dukes' C or high-risk Dukes' B colon cancer or Dukes' B or C rectal cancer who’d completed standard adjuvant therapy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either aspirin 200 mg daily (n=791) or placebo for 3 years (n=759), with a follow-up period of 5 years.
Results: After a median follow-up of 59.2 months, 5-year disease-free survival was similar in the aspirin and placebo groups (77.0% vs. 74.8%; hazard ratio [HR] 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73-1.13; P=0.38). Adverse events were also similar between groups, with no treatment-related deaths.
Source:
Chia JWK, et al. (2025, January 14). Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. Aspirin after completion of standard adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer (ASCOLT): an international, multicentre, phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39824200/
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