Aspirin & colon cancer. .Aspirin reduced the risk of colorectal cancer colorectal cancer Malignant tumour of the large intestine (colon) or rectum. Risk factors include age (after age 50), family history of colorectal cancer, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, benign polyps, physical inactivity, and a diet high in fat. or colon polyps in people who had previously had the disease or polyps Polyps A tumor with a small flap that attaches itself to the wall of various vascular organs such as the nose, uterus and rectum. Polyps bleed easily, and if they are suspected to be cancerous they should be surgically removed. . However, researchers stopped short of advising people to take aspirin to prevent colorectal cancer. In a 2 1/2-year study of 517 people who had been cured of colorectal cancer, a new polyp polyp, in medicine, a benign tumor occurring in areas lined with mucous membrane such as the nose, gastrointestinal tract (especially the colon), and the uterus. Some polyps are pedunculated tumors, i.e. was found in 17 percent of those taking a daily enteric-coated aspirin (325 mg), compared to 27 percent of those taking a placebo. And in a 2 1/2-year study of 1,084 patients who had recently had a polyp removed, new polyps were found in 38 percent of those taking a baby aspirin (81 mg), 45 percent of those taking a regular aspirin (32.5 mg), and 47 percent of those taking a placebo. (Why the baby aspirin was more effective is unclear.) However, neither of the studies tested people with no history of polyps or cancer. And the risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage or hemorrhagic stroke caused by aspirin is likely to outweigh the benefit of fewer colorectal cancers. What to do: Researchers are looking for medications that have aspirin's benefits without its side effects. Until they find one (and even when they do), eat red meat infrequently, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, make sure you're physically active, take a multivitamin mul·ti·vi·ta·min adj. Containing many vitamins. n. A preparation containing many vitamins. multivitamin with folic acid, and get a colonoscopy at least every ten years starting at age 50. New England Journal of Medicine The New England Journal of Medicine (New Engl J Med or NEJM) is an English-language peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It is one of the most popular and widely-read peer-reviewed general medical journals in the world. 348: 879, 883, 891, 2003. |
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