Two new studies show aspirin prevents precancerous colon polyps The New England Journal of Medicine's March 6 2003 issue published the results of two studies showing that aspirin was helpful in preventing polyps of the colon, which are recognized as a precursor to colon cancer, in colon cancer survivors and in individuals with a history of polyps. The first study, headed by University of North Carolina Chapel Hill professor of medicine and epidemiology Robert S Sandler, MD, assigned 325 milligrams aspirin per day to half of the 635 participants, while the other half received a placebo. Five hundred seventeen subjects received at least one colonoscopic examination after one year on the regimen. Colonoscopy detected seventeen polyps in the aspirin group compared to 27 in the group that received the placebo. Aspirin was also shown to delay the onset of the polyps and to slow their development. The trial was halted midway through the investigation so that both groups could take advantage of aspirin's beneficial effect. In the second study, led by John A Baron, MD of Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, New Hampshire, 1121 patients who had previously been diagnosed with colon polyps received daily 81 milligrams aspirin, 325 milligrams aspirin, or a placebo. Ninety-seven percent of participants underwent follow-up colonoscopies at least one year after beginning the trial. While polyps were found in 47 percent of the placebo patients, the group receiving 81 milligrams aspirin had a only a 38 percent incidence. Dr Sandler, who participated in both studies, stated, "Aspirin and other NSAIDs have consistently demonstrated possible protection against colon cancer and other diseases. But this study offers the strongest proof of protection because participants were assigned at random to the two study arms; in other words, this was a true experiment." Source: Life Extension Foundation www.lef.org Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.