METHODS: Following ethical approval, 30 patients presenting with dysplastic OPLs undergoing interventional laser surgery were recruited. 15 were on aspirin therapy (75mg/day) and 15 were age, gender, smoking matched non-aspirin controls. Immunohistochemical analyses of Ki67 in laser resected lesions were carried out and statistical comparisons made between aspirin treated and non-aspirin group LIs at disease presentation, and the incidence of lesion recurrence 2 years post-surgery, using non-parametric analyses.
RESULTS: Mean Ki67 LIs were lower in the aspirin treated group (22.32+/-7.57) than the unmedicated group (25.04+/-13.22) although this difference was not significant. There was no observable difference between the 2 groups with regards to recurrence at 2 years post-surgery despite continued aspirin treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: At OPL presentation, cell proliferative activity is lower in aspirin treated patients, but the incidence of lesion recurrence 2 years post laser surgery appears unaffected by aspirin use.