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COLON: Low-dose aspirin seems to suppress polyps in the intestines
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Published: April 10, 2009
The question: Might taking aspirin help suppress the development of intestinal polyps that could lead to cancer?
This study: It combined and analyzed data from four studies involving 2,698 people (average age, 58) who had been randomly assigned to take either varying low-level doses of aspirin (81 to 325 milligrams) daily or to take aspirin or a placebo daily. Everyone had had at least one polyp detected in the past, about a fourth had had colon cancer and about a third knew of colon cancer in a close relative. In about a three-year span, polyps were found in 931 people. Those who took aspirin at any of the prescribed dosages were 17 percent less likely to have developed polyps than were people who did not take aspirin. Aspirin-takers had a 28 percent lower risk for advanced lesions. Essentially no differences in complications were found between the groups.
Who may be affected? People who have had colon cancer or polyps, growths inside the colon that are considered precursors to cancer. Nearly 110,000 people in the United States are expected to receive a diagnosis of colon cancer this year.
Caveats: People who bleed easily and those who have asthma, ulcers or heart failure should talk with their doctor before taking daily aspirin. The study was funded by Bayer, which makes aspirin, and one of the eight authors received fees from the company.
Find this study: Feb. 18 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Learn more: www.asge.org (click "Patient Information") and www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov.
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