While aspirin and a low-fat diet have both been known to reduce the risk of cancer, researchers from UCLA and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have recently found that they may also keep cancer from relapsing in some patients.
Breast cancer patients who followed a modest low-fat diet, cutting oils, margarine and red meat, were 24 percent less likely to have their cancer come back. In a separate study, colon cancer patients who took regular aspirin were 50 percent less likely to have a relapse.
For the diet study, researchers worked with more than 2,400 women being treated for breast cancer. The participants who followed the modest low-fat diet consumed 33 grams of fat a day, while the others ate an average of 51 grams a day.
The aspirin study had more than 800 participants, all of whom had stage III colon cancer. The group with the reduced risk of relapse and death (about nine percent of total participants) were consistently taking aspirin for a variety reasons.
While both of these studies are promising, experts agree more research is needed before solid recommendations can be made.
All research on this web site is the property of Leslie Beck Nutrition Consulting Inc. and is protected by copyright. Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.