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Regular
use of aspirin reduces risk of colorectal
cancer…Patients need to talk to their doctor
to discuss risks vs. benefits
Bethesda, MD (Jan. 18, 2008) – The use of regular, long-term
aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) reduces the risk associated
with colorectal cancer, according to a study
published inGastroenterology,
the official journal of the American
Gastroenterological Association (AGA)
Institute.
However, the use of aspirin for chemoprevention of colorectal
cancer may require using the drug at doses
that are higher than recommended over a long
period of time, which may cause serious side
effects including gastrointestinal bleeding.
“While the results of our study show that aspirin should not
currently be recommended for the
chemoprevention of colorectal cancer in a
healthy population, there is a need for
further studies to help identify for which
patients the potential benefits outweigh the
risks,” according to Andrew T. Chan, MD,
MPH, Massachusetts General Hospital and lead
author of the study.
“We also need to improve our understanding of how aspirin works to
prevent and inhibit the formation of
colorectal cancer.”
Study participants were enrolled in the Health Professionals
Follow-up Study, a large prospective cohort
study which has provided detailed and
updated information on aspirin use.
Researchers found that men who used aspirin regularly experienced a
significantly lower risk of colorectal
cancer, including distal colon cancer,
proximal colon cancer and rectal cancer,
even after controlling for other risk
factors.
The reduction in risk was seen in both early (stage I/II) and
advanced (stage III/IV) colorectal cancers.
There were 975 documented cases of colorectal cancer over 761,757
person-years, among the 47,636 eligible men.
Participants who reported regular aspirin use, equal to or
more than twice a week, were older, more
likely to have smoked, used multivitamins
and folate, and consumed slightly more
alcohol.
In an average-risk population of men, results showed that the
benefit of aspirin was not apparent until
after more than five years of use.
The greatest reduction in risk was observed at cumulative
doses of more than 14 standard tablets (325
mg) per week, which is higher than normally
recommended.
The benefit of aspirin use appears to diminish less than four years
after stopping use and is not evident after
four to five years of discontinued use.
The Health Professionals Follow-up Study has been conducted on
51,529 U.S. male dentists, optometrists,
osteopaths, podiatrists, pharmacists and
veterinarians, who returned a mailed health
questionnaire in 1986.
The questionnaire included questions about diet, aspirin use and
medical diagnoses, including cancer. The
biennial questionnaires ask for updated
information including cancer diagnoses and
aspirin use.
The participants were between 40 and 75 years of age when the study
began.
This year an estimated 147,000 Americans will be diagnosed with
colorectal cancer and 56,500 will die from
this disease, with an approximate 1-in-18
lifetime probability of developing
colorectal cancer.
About the AGA Institute
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is dedicated to
the mission of advancing the science and
practice of gastroenterology.
Founded in 1897, the AGA is one of the oldest
medical-specialty societies in the U.S.
Comprised of two non-profit organizations —
the AGA and the AGA Institute — our more
than 16,000 members include physicians and
scientists who research, diagnose and treat
disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and
liver.
The AGA, a 501(c6) organization, administers all membership
and public policy activities, while the AGA
Institute, a 501(c3) organization, runs the
organization’s practice, research and
educational programs.
On a monthly basis, the AGA Institute publishes two highly
respected journals,GastroenterologyandClinical
Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
The organization's annual meeting is Digestive Disease Week®, which
is held each May and is the largest
international gathering of physicians,
researchers and academics in the fields of
gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and
gastrointestinal surgery. For more
information, please visitwww.gastro.org.
AboutGastroenterology
Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA Institute, is the
most prominent scientific journal in the
specialty and is in the top 1 percent of
indexed medical journals internationally.
The journal publishes clinical and basic science studies of all
aspects of the digestive system, including
the liver and pancreas, as well as
nutrition.
The journal is abstracted and indexed in Biological Abstracts,
CABS, Chemical Abstracts, Current Contents,
Excerpta Medica, Index Medicus, Nutrition
Abstracts and Science Citation Index. For
more information, visit
www.gastrojournal.org.