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ASPIRIN CAN REDUCE the risk of colon cancer by half, but only in people who carry high levels of a specific type of gene, a study released this week found.
Researchers previously were aware that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin could reduce colorectal cancer risks, but they did not understand why some saw a benefit and others did not, according to the study in Science Translational Medicine.
Scientists studied tissues from people who developed colon cancer while on an aspirin regimen then set out to understand why people with a particular gene appeared to get a protective benefit from aspirin and others did not.
They examined tissues of 270 colon cancer patients from 127,865 participants followed for over three decades.
They found that patients who lacked a genetic profile which yields high levels of the enzyme 15-PGDH got almost no protective benefit for colon cancer from aspirin.
‘yes-no’
“If you looked at the folks from the study who had high 15-PGDH levels and took aspirin, they cut their risk of colon cancer by half,” said senior author Sanford Markowitz of Case Western Reserve School of Medicine.
Yet “if you looked at the folks from the study that were low for 15-PGDH, they did not benefit at all from taking aspirin. These findings represent a clean yes-no about who would benefit from aspirin,” he explained.
Identifying who can benefit from the colon cancer-reducing potential of aspirin is an important step because in some patients aspirin causes an increased risk of stomach ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding, researchers said.
They are hoping to develop a test that would make it easy to identify who is and is not likely to get the positive effects of aspirin.
According to the Irish Cancer Society, colon cancer struck 2,271 people in 2009. It is the second deadliest cancer after lung cancer.
Additional reporting, Daragh Brophy
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I’m a colon cancer survivor…. always good news when they learn more about the disease.
AND if you’re over 50 get a colonoscopy!!! Now!!!
John, I know you mean well but it is generally believed by medical researchers and doctors that doing tests on people who have no symptoms of any disease is not recommended bar a few very specific exceptions and even then the jury is out.
Sorry to ‘hear’ you say that William – cancer screening has had overwhelming success for breast cancer and colon cancer. You need to pick the right candidates – people over 50 are the best candidates for colon cancer screening. I can’t support your broad statement of ‘generally believed’ as being based on fact. Try a google on cancer screening – read the statistics.
In Ireland now too many colon cancer patients are not diagnosed until they are Stage 2 or 3, even Stage 4. The first reason is the symptoms are ignored, or passed off as something else bothering them. People are not open to talking about their bowel habits, diarrhea, and other toilet activities. Even as the number 2 killer of people in Ireland it doesn’t get the attention other cancers get. No big celebrities to role model.
I recommend everyone read what the Irish Cancer Society has to say about colon cancer. Please see http://www.cancer.ie/cancer-information/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer.
Good luck William – hope you never get it!
I’m with you John. I ignored symptoms for years and eventually had to demand a colonoscopy as I am wrong age, so to speak, for bowel cancer.
Thankfully (?) I have IBD but for that time I thought it was bowel cancer I was kicking myself for not doing whatever it took to be taken seriously.
My IBD was bad and I’m a year post ileostomy reversal but feeling great.
We’re (IBD patients) high risk for bowel cancer and I’m monitored closely with regular colonoscopies now.
Don’t ignore bleeding or fob it off or allow yourself to be fobbed off. The stakes are too high.
I’m intrigued by this study as IBD patients are one group who are told to avoid aspirin so would be interesting to know how it is affecting diseased bowel.
So would you need to take aspirin everyday.
I was on 75mg of asprin everyday, (due to a mini stroke) for many years , it was only when I started having stomach problems and I was sent for a colonoscopy in our local hospital that doctors found that I had ulcers , the most likely cause of which was due to taking asprin over a long period of time . I have to agree with john flood about screening for cancer, not just colonic but all cancers , we men are especially bad at talking things over with our G.P’S and getting tests done . I almost lost my life to cancer of the urinary tract at the age of 28, that type of cancer is usually found in men over the age of 65 so is not highly known or checked for amongst younger men (same for testicular and bowel cancer) fortunately after chemotherapy ,radium therapy and surgery I made a good recovery and 26 yrs down the line i’m still here. TESTS SHOULD BE STARTED MUCH EARLIER , the costs of these tests could easily be outweighed by the money saved in treating cancers that have developed to a much more aggressive stage when left untreated. there should be a national screening program for men (women are already screened for breast and cervical cancer) and more awareness of testing for everyone.
Great to see you recovered. My father died if bowel cancer so I always have that worry in the back of my mind that I could get it. 28 myself so I suppose it would be no harm to get everything checked out.
My dad also passed away with bowel cancer , he ignored symptoms , bleeding etc for years and by the time he did see about it it was gone too far and had spread. It was tough to see a heathy 17 stone 6 footer being eaten by it . All siblings have had colonoscopy tests done shortly after and regular checks and I’d advise anyone who sees changes in bowel patterns and unusual events like blood in stool to check in with there doctor ASAP . If it’s something simple then no loss but you have to catch this thing in time cause it takes no prisoners rich or poor.
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