Daily Aspirin May Reduce Colon Cancer Risk

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

A team of researchers from Denmark inform that test subjects who took just one (1) or two (2) baby aspirins each day, for a period of at least five (5) years were 27 percent (27%) less likely to develop colon cancer. Taking nonaspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs – such as ibuprofen, motrin and Aleve – for the same amount of time translated to a 30 to 45 percent drop in colon cancer risk among study participants.

Heading the study, Dr. Soren Friis who works in Copenhagen for the Danish Cancer Society Research Center told the news agency that taking a low dose of aspirin continuously is what the study has revealed about protecting users against colorectal cancer.

However, a recent comprehensive review concluded that more research is needed to determine the optimal use of aspirin for cancer prevention.

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.

“I don’t think we should imply or recommend that these medications be taken for cancer prevention without working closely with a physician”, he said.

Baron himself admitted that “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”. The lifetime risk of developing colon cancer is about 1 in 20. Researchers found that of 100,000 healthy patients those who took aspirin or NSAIDs had a lower risk of colon cancer.

Despite these positive results, the researchers still warn individuals on the health risks of taking aspirin and NSAIDs. The scientists established that a low dose of aspirin meant between 75 and 150 milligrams.

Co-author of the study professor of medicine Dr. John Baron from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, in Chapel Hill said that the protective effects are indeed unbelievable and the study proves how everyday medication can turn to be unexpectedly useful. Also, the researchers can’t rule out the possibility that other factors may have increased participants’ risk for colorectal cancer, such as obesity, dietary habits, alcohol use, and family history of colorectal cancer.