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Aspirin: A Daily Dose of Defiance Against Colon Cancer for the High-Risk Crowd

Michael Hunter, MD
BeingWell
Published in
5 min readAug 7, 2024

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As an oncologist, I am particularly interested in reducing the number of people who come to my door.

Today, I read a groundbreaking study in JAMA Oncology.

Researchers report that regular aspirin use may offer a protective shield against colorectal cancer, particularly for individuals with elevated lifestyle-related risk factors for the disease.

This revelation could potentially change the landscape of preventive care for those at higher risk, offering a simple yet effective tool in the fight against this prevalent form of cancer.

Background

Harvard’s Dr. Andrew Chan explains the study objective: “We sought to identify individuals who are more likely to benefit from aspirin to facilitate more personalised prevention strategies.”

Here’s how the researchers accomplished their task:

They analyzed data from women in the Nurses’ Health Study (1980–2018) and men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986–2018).

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Michael Hunter, MD
BeingWell

I have degrees from Harvard, Yale, and Penn. I am a radiation oncologist in the Seattle area. You may find me regularly posting at www.newcancerinfo.com