Regular aspirin could reduce risk of developing colon cancer
Posted on 21. Sep, 2009 by admin in Health
According to researchers aspirin could well prevent malignancy in those who have a genetic makeup to favor development of malignancy.
Admitting that the finding needs further research, John Burn, researcher from the Institute of Human Genetics at Britain’s Newcastle University says that the study could have gone in the direction to make use of stem cell in terms of malignancy.
John Burn presented his finding at the ECCO-ESMO (the European Cancer Congress) held in Berlin. Burn et al., sample tested 1,071 people with Lynch Syndrome and tested them with aspirin. They have put some of them on aspirin and some on a placebo test.
They followed up after 10 years and their findings indicate that after 29 months cancer rates were not significantly affected, but did show affect after 48 months wherein only few people taking aspirin developed colon cancer; after 10 years only 6 people among the aspirin taking group diagnosed with colon cancer as compared top 16 in the placebo group.
Furthermore, Burn says there is reduction in development of endometrial cancer. It should be noted here that Lynch syndrome in people increase their risk to several cancers; the colon, stomach, brain, prostate and skin. In women there is risk of ovarian and endometrial cancers.
It should also be noted that colorectal is one of the cancers causing death in US as well as in Europe. More than 500,000 people get diagnosed with colorectal cancer every year and half of them succumb to the same.
An cheap OTC drug like aspirin that is known to stave off heart attack and stroke risks could also reduce cancer risk; a breakthrough success in the field of cancer. The current finding though calls for further study involving larger sample size and different aspirin dosages.
