Aspirin could be used to prevent cancer

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7389.565

BMJ 2003;326:565 ( 15 March )

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Aspirin could be used to prevent cancer

Owen Dyer, London
The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Three recently published studies indicate that aspirin, already enjoying a second lease of life in the prevention of heartdisease, may soon become a first line of defence againstcancer.

Two prospective, placebo controlled studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2002:348;883-90 [Abstract/Free Full Text] and 891-9 [Abstract/Free Full Text]) lookedat patients at risk of colorectal cancer. Both studies found aclear benefit from aspirin in reducing the frequency of new colorectalpolyps.

The second of these studies, led by John Baron of Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire, followed 1084 patientswith a history of polyps and examined the patients by colonoscopyabout three years after their entry into the study. The patientswere split into three arms: a placebo group, a low dose grouptaking 81 mg aspirin daily, and a group taking 325 mgdaily.

Most of the benefit was in the low dose group. The unadjusted risk ratios for new polyps . . . [Full text of this article]