the Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center, analyzed biopsy samples from 13 patients [to
small!!!] with a pre-cancerous condition
called Barrett's esophagus who were tracked for six to 19 years. In an
"observational crossover" study design, some patients started out
taking daily aspirin for several years, and then stopped, while others started
taking aspirin for the first time during observation. The goal was to track the
rate of mutations in tissues sampled at different times.
Maley said that
less inflammation may result in less production within pre-cancerous tissue of
oxidants known to damage DNA, and may dampen growth-stimulating signaling.
Rather than aiming
to kill the most tumor cells, it may be better to try to halt or slow growth
and mutation. Current drug treatments for cancer may in many cases hasten the
emergence of cancer that is more difficult to eradicate, according to Maley.
The capability to mutate frequently allows tumors to become resistant to drug
treatment, he said. A better-adapted mutant can begin to spin off a population
of genetic clones that survives and grows, while poorly adapted tumor cells die
off.
Never heard of that last idea, its rather akin to not
giving someone dying of MRSA vancomycin, which means, sure you’ll reduce
antibiotic resistance likelihood, but the person is more or less bound to
die…not sure how the patient would feel about that, good for society though?
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