Aspirin Reduces Risk of New Polyps

Taking either high or low dose aspirin reduces the chances the people with colorectal polyps (adenomas) will get more.

A combined analysis of three randomized controlled trials that compared taking aspirin to a placebo after adenomas were removed found that people who took a daily low dose or baby aspirin had almost a 20 percent lower chance of another adenoma during their next colonoscopy.  High-dose or regular adult strength aspirin reduced risk of polyp recurrence by about 15 percent.

Any aspirin reduced the risk of advanced adenomas by more than 35 percent. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on October 13th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: adenomas, aspirin, chemoprevention

Aspirin Prevents Lynch Syndrome Cancers

ECCO/ESMO UPDATE — BERLIN 2009

Although initial reports found no reduction in polyps or cancer in people with Lynch syndrome who took aspirin and/or resistant starch supplements, longer follow-up tells a difference story.

About five years after trial participants began taking aspirin or a placebo, differences began to emerge. Even though patients in the trial only took aspirin for four years, later followup found significantly fewer colon colon cancers among those who had used  aspirin, as well as fewer Lynch-related cancers overall.   There were almost three times as many colon cancers in Lynch carriers who took a placebo compared to those who used aspirin. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on September 24th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: aspirin, colorectal cancer prevention, Lynch syndrome

Aspirin for Every Patient with Metastatic Colon Cancer?

A recent study suggested that patients with colon cancer lived longer when taking aspirin.

Aspirin is a very interesting drug which has showed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and colon cancer risk and is a great pain reliever. The mechanism of action is the inhibition of an enzyme called COX-2. Continue reading…

Posted by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD on August 31st, 2009
Posted in: From the Desk of Dr. Lenz | 3 Comments »
Tags: aspirin, chemoprevention, survival, Treating Colorectal Cancer

Aspirin Saves Lives after Colon Cancer Treatment

Photo by Mara Zemgaliete

Colorectal cancer patients with early stage disease were 30 percent less likely to die from cancer and 20 percent less likely to die at all if they took aspirin regularly after their diagnosis.

Benefit was even greater for those who began taking the medicine for the first time after their diagnosis.

However, only the group whose tumors tested positive for COX-2 (cyclooxygenase2) benefited from aspirin.   Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on August 13th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 6 Comments »
Tags: aspirin, colorectal cancer, survival

Aspirin and Undigestible Starch Don’t Protect Against Lynch Syndrome

Neither daily aspirin or undigestible starch supplements reduced the risk for polyps and cancer for people with Lynch syndrome (also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer or HNPCC.)

Nearly 850 patients with identified Lynch syndrome were randomly assigned to receive aspirin, resistant starch, or placebos for up to four years.  After an average of two years, 141 developed either precancerous polyps or cancer (neoplasia). There was no difference in either overall neoplasia or advanced neoplasia whether patients took aspirin or resistant starch or received a placebo. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on December 29th, 2008
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 2 Comments »
Tags: aspirin, fiber, Lynch syndrome