Aspirin May Reduce Risk for Colon Cancer in Case of Key Gene Mutations : A Study

Gene mutations found in different colon tumors may be a key factor in a daily low dose of aspirin protecting against colon cancer, a new study found.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study included data from more than 127,000 people in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study in the United States.

Far more than a pain reliever, the researchers, who were led by Reiko Nishihara of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, found that individuals who took aspirin on a regular basis exhibited a 27 percent lower risk of BRAF wild-type cancer than those who did not.

However, the use of aspirin did not lower the risk of BRAF-mutated colorectal cancer (colon and rectal cancer), suggesting, the scientists wrote, that "BRAF-mutant colon tumor cells may be less sensitive to the effect of aspirin."

Furthermore, regular aspirin use after diagnosis of either type of colorectal cancer did not improve patients' survival, the researchers found.

Far from representing the last word, the scientists wrote that "given the modest absolute risk difference, further investigations are necessary to determine clinical implications of our findings."

This is not the first time a study has linked aspirin to a reduction of cancer.

A report published earlier this year in the journal CANCER examined 60,000 postmenopausal Caucasian women between the ages of 50 and 79. In so doing, the scientists, led by Dr. Jean Tang of Stanford University School of Medicine, discovered that women who used aspirin daily over the previous five years had a 30 percent reduced risk of developing melanoma.

The magic in the cheap, over-the-counter medication may lie, Tang suggests, in its anti-inflammatory effects.

"Aspirin reduces inflammation," he explained. "Cancer cells with a lot of inflammation grow more and are more aggressive."

Tang added that cancer cells tend to produce in excess the very same substance that aspirin and other NSAIDs knock back.

However, the seeming wonder pill is not without its disadvantages, having been tied to increased risk for age-related blindness and internal bleeding.

According to WebMD, colorectal cancer is third most frequently diagnosed cancer in men and women and the second highest cause of cancer deaths in the United States, not including skin cancer.

Risk factors include a diet high in red or processed meats, being overweight, a lack of exercise, smoking and drinking alcohol. As the disease progresses, individuals may notice blood in the stool, abdominal pain, a change in bowel habits such as constipation or diarrhea, unexplained weight loss or fatigue. However, at the point that such symptoms are present, tumors tend to be larger and more difficult to treat. With no early warning signs, the National Cancer Institute recommends that individuals at risk talk to their physician about screening options.