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Aspirin: A Daily Dose of Defiance Against Colon Cancer for the High-Risk Crowd
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).
Study Details
The researchers calculated a healthy lifestyle score based on the following:
- body mass index
- alcohol intake
- physical activity
- diet
- smoking.
The investigators assigned scores from 0 to 5, with higher scores corresponding to a healthier lifestyle.
They defined regular aspirin use as two or more standard tablets (325 milligrams) weekly.
Analysis
Dr. Daniel Sikavi and his team meticulously analyzed health data from a vast pool of 107,655 participants enrolled in the…
