Starting from today, Wednesday 10th January 2018, the clinical trial called ASPIRIN for stage II and III colon cancer patients is open for patient recruitment at the University Hospital of Antwerp, Belgium. The trial has already been open in 35 Dutch hospitals but needed reinforcement of Belgian centres to be able to recruit a total of 1588 patients.

Initial therapy after diagnosis of stage II or III colon cancer usually comprises primary surgical resection, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy in order to prevent metastasis. However, despite encouraging advances in surgical techniques and improved therapeutic protocols, more than half of patients with colorectal cancer eventually develop metastasis, leading to death in 20 - 35% of stage II and III colorectal cancer patients. Taking aspirin for several years at doses of at least 75 mg daily reduces long-term incidence and mortality. The ASPIRIN trial investigates whether taking aspirin daily for 5 years also prevents distant metastasis in colorectal cancer patients. Read more...