Study Shows Aspirin Prevents Colon Cancer in High Risk Group
Aspirin is primarily known for pain relief. But it also has been indicated in having a protective effect. Doctors recommend daily aspirin use to patients with a genetic predisposition towards heart attacks and stroke. High-risk colon cancer can be added to the list based on a study published Friday in the journal, Lancet.
The study was conducted in Britain and it followed 861 people with a known genetic predisposition to colorectal cancer called, a condition known as Lynch Syndrome. This condition accounts for 3-5 percent of colon cancer cases and affects 1 in 1,000 people in the general population. The randomized control trial consisted of two groups, one group that took 600 milligrams of Aspirin – which is equivalent to two regular strength Aspirin- the other group got placebo pills full of starch.
The protective effect became apparent in five years in the group that took Aspirin. John Burn, a professor of clinical genetics at Newcastle University in England explains, “If you give two Aspirins a day for two years to people with hereditary bowel cancer than after five years their cancer risk would be reduced by more than half.” This will change the current course of treatment for those with a genetic predisposition.
It must be noted that this study is only proven in those with Lynch syndrome.. Dr Des. Leddin, a gastroenterologist, advised that before going on the Aspirin regimen, patients should talk to their physicians since the risk of daily use includes stomach bleeding and stroke. Asad Umar, a cancer prevention expert at the U.S. National Cancer Institute said, “We’re not ready to say Aspirin is useful for the general public…There are still a lot of toxicity concerns.” Further investigation may research if Aspirin has any protective effect on those without any type of family history of colon cancer.
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