Do not rely on aspirin to prevent colon cancer

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

There is no clear benefit in taking aspirin or other NSAIDs for prevention of colon cancer, according to new advice.
There is some evidence that aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can protect people against colon cancer. But now the US Preventive Services Task Force say that people should not take these drugs in the hope of their preventing the disease, even if they have a family history of colon cancer. This is the first time the Task Force has come up with a recommendation about taking medicines to prevent colon cancer, which kills around 56,000 Americans every year.

The Task Force is concerned over the potential side effects of taking over 300 milligrams a day of aspirin or NSAIDs - which include the risk of stroke or kidney failure. They do say, however, that low dose aspirin (less than 100 milligrams) will protect from heart disease, but this amount is not enough to stop colon cancer. Regular colonoscopy can monitor for the early signs of colon cancer and polyps that might develop into colon cancer can be removed. This should be the main approach to prevention for those at risk of colon cancer.

Source
Annals of Internal Medicine March 2007

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