Aspirin May Reduce Colon Cancer Risk

As the benefits of aspirin appeared to occur before the earliest stages of tumor development, the researchers believe aspirin may affect cells that are predisposed to becoming cancerous over time.

Being overweight more than doubles the risk of bowel cancer in people with a certain gene disorder, but a regular dose of aspirin can reverse the trend, a study found Monday. The results of the 937 patients who took part in the study were reviewed ten years later.

“Obesity is associated with substantially increased colorectal cancer risk in patients with Lynch syndrome, but this risk is abrogated in those taking aspirin”, the authors concluded.

Researchers at the University of Denver say quality counts when it comes to young romance.

“This research adds to the growing body of evidence which links an increased inflammatory process to an increased risk of cancer”, Burn noted.

Professor Sir John Burn, professor of Clinical Genetics at Newcastle University who led the global research collaboration, said, “This is important for people with Lynch Syndrome but affects the rest of us too”.

Simple aspirin could be a powerful weapon for overweight people to reduce any additional risks of developing colon cancer stemming from a genetic predisposition called Lynch Syndrome, a new global study has revealed.

The inflammatory response is increased by obesity.

The worldwide study involving scientists and clinicians from 16 countries followed almost 1,000 patients with Lynch Syndrome, in some cases for over 10 years. “One explanation for our findings is that the aspirin may be supressing that inflammation which opens up new avenues of research into the cause of cancer”. The researchers found that participants who were obese were 2.75 times as likely to develop this cancer than participants whose weight was normal.

Anyone considering taking aspirin on a regular basis is advised to consult their doctor first, as it can have side effects such as ulcers. “But if there is a strong family history of cancer, then people may want to weigh up the cost-benefits, particularly as these days, drugs which block acid production in the stomach are available over the counter”.

Nick Bason, director of external affairs at Bowel Cancer UK, said: “We know that maintaining a healthy weight can help stack the odds against bowel cancer”.

However, the obesity-related excess risk of colorectal cancer was found to be exclusive to patients who were assigned to the aspirin placebo group.