A new study, published on Nature, suggests that aspirin, long valued for its cardiovascular benefits, may also help delay biochemical recurrence (BCR) in prostate cancer patients following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). The research, which analyzed data from over 8,000 patients at 25 centers, focused on individuals with pT2 or pT3 stage prostate cancer who had not developed lymph node or distant metastases.

Patients taking aspirin at the time of surgery formed the aspirin group, regardless of whether they used it for anticoagulation or vascular protection. Initially, no significant link was found between aspirin use and BCR. However, after employing statistical adjustments like propensity score matching and Mahalanobis distance matching, researchers observed a meaningful increase in the 3-year BCR-free survival rate among aspirin users. The effect was most pronounced in patients with a high-risk ISUP grade of 4 or higher.

Aspirin’s mechanism, which includes inhibiting cell proliferation and angiogenesis through COX-dependent and COX-independent pathways, likely contributes to these improved outcomes. While the findings are encouraging, the study’s retrospective nature and the absence of data on aspirin dosage, treatment duration, and overall survival call for further prospective trials. Nonetheless, this research highlights the potential of aspirin as a low-cost, readily available tool to help reduce prostate cancer recurrence, especially in higher-risk patients.

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