Aspirin & other painkillers may lower risk of colon cancer

A new study has found that people who take aspirin on a daily basis have a lower risk of developing colon cancer.

“Lots of people struggle with their weight and this suggests the extra cancer risk can be cancelled by taking an aspirin”, Professor Sir John Burn, who led the research collaboration, said in a statement.

Researchers reported that study participants who took 75 to 150 mg of aspirin for half of decade or more were 27 percent less likely to develop colon cancer than their peers who didn’t take the medicine.

The authors caution that patients with the highest adherence comprised only about 2 to 3 percent of all low-dose aspirin users in the study population, and these persons may have a risk profile for colorectal cancer that differs from that of the general population.

Earlier researches also indicated the importance of aspirin in preventing colon cancer but researchers could not find out that how much dose should be taken and for how long to get the desired results.

The researchers’ objective was to explore the link between rates of colorectal cancer, aspirin and NSAIDs and the duration of the treatment. A precisely 27 percent decrease was observed when 75 to 150 milligrams aspirins have been taken regularly. “For aspirin, you would have to take it fairly consistently, meaning at least every other day, for at least five to 10 years for the protective effect to even begin to appear”, he said. The National Cancer Institute estimates that there are 132,700 new cases for the year 2015.

An online risk calculator from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (available here: 1.usa.gov/1DlscTL) indicates that in the U.S., for an average white or black woman in her late fifties, the 10-year risk of developing colorectal cancer is between 1 and 1.4 percent, and her lifetime risk is between 5 and 5.4 percent.

The research team also cannot eliminate the possibility that several other factors could have influenced the colorectal cancer risks of the patients, including dietary habits, obesity, alcohol use and the patients’ own family history of bowel cancer.

Dr. Friis told Reuters that colorectal patients should not be taking aspirin or non-aspirin NSAIDs as there may be side effects and other unfounded serious health effects. At least not until discussing things thoroughly with a doctor.