Alternate-day, Low-dose Aspirin May Reduce Colon Cancer Risk
Low-dose aspirin (100 mg) taken every other day may reduce a woman’s risk of developing colon cancer, according to an observational study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The findings are based on a large long-term study of 38,876 healthy women enrolled in the Women’s Health Study looking at the benefits and risks of taking aspirin and vitamin E for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Study Details
The women, aged 45 or older, were randomly assigned to take 100 mg of aspirin or a placebo every other day starting between 1993 and 1996 and were followed through 2004. The study participants completed regular questionnaires about their cancer status, how often they took medication, any negative effects, any additional aspirin use, and other risk factors.
After the initial study, researchers followed 33,682 participants through March 2012, although the women were not given additional aspirin or placebos during this time. The researchers found that after 18 years, women in the aspirin arm of the study had a 20% lower colon cancer rate than those taking the placebo. There were no differences between the aspirin group and the placebo group for other cancer types.
Taking the aspirin, however, resulted in some intestinal problems. Women who took aspirin were more likely to have gastrointestinal bleeding (8.3% vs 7.3%) and peptic ulcers (7.3% vs 6.2%).
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Cancer Institute.
The content in this post has not been reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) and does not necessarily reflect the ideas and opinions of ASCO®.
