Study: Long-term Aspirin Cuts Risk of Colon Cancer

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Robert Benamouzig and Dr. Bernard Uzzan said that these findings, along with others showing the benefits of aspirin use for reducing the risk of cancer-specific and overall mortality, could incite clinicians to use aspirin for primary prevention of colorectal cancer, particularly in high-risk populations.

Although the current study has several important limitations, the authors do provide an extremely long follow-up, and they present a number of original findings, not the least of which is the finding of a predominant and significant effect of aspirin on proximal colonic lesions.

“If confirmed, this original finding might present a strong argument for the addition of aspirin chemoprevention to screening sigmoidoscopy,” they wrote (Lancet 2010 Oct. 22 [doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)1509-7]).

As such, guidelines for aspirin chemoprevention are needed, and would be the next logical step, they concluded.

Dr. Benamouzig and Dr. Uzzan are with the departments of gastroenterology and pharmacology, respectively, of Avicenne Hospital, Bobigny, France. They reported having no disclosures.