人人买得起的阿司匹林能治癌症吗？科学家正进行全球最大的临床试验

刘颖

In the United Kingdom, the world’s largest clinical trial, involving about 11,000 people who have early-stage cancer, has just begun, according to the BBC. The goal? Finding out if a daily dose of aspirin, one of the world’s most common pharmaceuticals, can prevent a recurrence of cancer.
    If the trial determines that aspirin does keep cancer at bay, the finding would be a game-changer for cancer treatment, scientists say. As cancer drug prices rise ever-higher, extending the longevity of those facing the disease is an increasingly expensive endeavor. Aspirin, meanwhile, is available at drugstores for a few dollars.
    “There’s been some interesting research suggesting that aspirin could delay or stop early stage cancers coming back, but there’s been no randomised trial to give clear proof,”said Professor Ruth Langley, chief investigator for the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit at University College London, where the trial is based, “This trial aims to answer this question once and for all.”
    Aspirin was initially developed as a painkiller, but scientists have also discovered its ability to reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
    Over the course of the study, some patients will take an aspirin dose every day for five years. One-third of the patients will take a placebo pill, and the other two equal groups will take high and low doses of aspirin each day. The trial will last up to twelve years, so don’t expect any definitive answers soon.

刘颖

据BBC报道，英国开启了史上规模最大的一次临床试验。这场试验大约有1.1万名早期癌症患者参与。其目的在于测试每日服用一定剂量的阿司匹林能否防止癌症复发。没错，测试对象就是世界上最常见的药物阿司匹林。

    科学家们表示，如果试验证实阿司匹林能够抑制癌症，那将给癌症治疗带来革命性的变化。随着癌症药物的价格越来越高，延长癌症患者寿命的代价变得日益昂贵。与此同时，患者只需要花几美元便可以从药店买到阿司匹林。

    这项实验的主持者，伦敦大学学院医学研究委员会临床实验室首席研究员鲁斯·兰利教授表示：“一项有趣的调查发现，阿司匹林可以延迟或防止初期癌症复发，但一直没有随机试验能够提供确切的证据。此次临床试验便是为这个问题找到最终的答案。”

    阿司匹林最初被用作止痛药，但科学家们也发现它具有减少中风和心脏病风险的疗效。
    在研究过程中，部分患者将在5年内每天服用一片阿司匹林。三分之一的患者将服用一片安慰剂药丸，另外三分之二平均分为两组，每天分别服用较大剂量和较小剂量的阿司匹林。这项试验将持续12年，短期内不会有确切的答案。