Aspirin just received a powerful endorsement.
An international study of people with a strong family history of colorectal cancer indicates a daily dose of aspirin can diminish the risk of getting that cancer.
Dr. Henry Lynch, director of Creighton University's Hereditary Cancer Center, helped plan, coordinate and consult on the study. Lynch, 83, identified the hereditary problem that increases the risk of colorectal cancer and several other cancers. The gene mutation is known as Lynch syndrome.
The finding, described this week in the British journal “The Lancet,” refutes an article three years ago in “The New England Journal of Medicine.” The article covered the same study group. The American article suggested there was no benefit.
With the passage of additional time, Lynch said Thursday, it was found that 600 milligrams of aspirin daily can diminish by about 50 percent the risk of getting colorectal cancer among those with Lynch syndrome.
“Our new results show the delayed effects,” Lynch said. “It took longer, and we extended our original study and, bingo, we hit the jackpot.”
A person who wants to find conclusively whether he has Lynch syndrome must undergo DNA testing, which can cost up to $3,000. Insurance typically covers some of that cost, Lynch said.
Lynch said those with a family history of cancer may benefit from aspirin, but the decision of whether to take a daily dose of aspirin should be coordinated with a patient's family physician.
Aspirin also has been found to protect against heart attacks.
The study involved about 860 patients, beginning in 1999. The international research team is preparing a follow-up trial to test the effect of different doses of aspirin. Lynch said ongoing research also will indicate whether aspirin thwarts all kinds of Lynch syndrome cancers.
What is it about aspirin that's so effective? “We don't know,” Lynch said. That, too, requires further research.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1123, rick.ruggles@owh.com
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