Aspirin Use May Decrease Cancer Risk in Some

Regular aspirin use has long been recommended by doctors to lower fever, reduce pain and ease inflammation. Its benefits in helping lower heart attack risk have also long been known. Researchers are finding, however, that this simple, over-the-counter medication may also have benefits in battling a type of cancer strongly associated with obesity.

Researchers, in fact, have found that regular aspirin usage may negate the increase risk obese people with Lynch syndrome suffer in relation to the development of colorectal cancer. To arrive at those findings, researchers looked at 937 patients with Lynch syndrome. They were randomly assigned to receive either 600 mg of aspirin daily or a placebo. Results showed that over a median follow-up period of 55.7 months, colorectal cancer risk was about 2.5 times higher for those who were overweight than those who were underweight or of normal weight. Researchers also found that aspirin use helped negate risks associated with obesity.

While the findings are only preliminary, researchers say people who are obese may lower their cancer risks by taking measures to shed pounds. As they do, regular aspirin use may prove beneficial in lowering risks of developing obesity-related cancer.

Obesity in the United States has reached epidemic proportions with an estimated one-third of adults and children now deemed overweight. Those who are overweight are at risk for a wide variety of serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and increased risks of many forms of cancer. Shedding pounds has been shown to dramatically lower risk for health complications.

People who are obese or at risk for certain cancers courtesy of conditions such as Lynch syndrome are urged to discuss options with their healthcare providers. Careful, healthy weight loss can dramatically lower risks. In the meantime, an aspirin a day may prove beneficial, researchers have found.

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North Texas Cancer Center at Wise, a division of Choice Cancer Care, is now operating as the Cancer Center at Wise Regional and is one of the most renowned cancer treatment centers in Texas.

North Texas Cancer Center at Wise, a division of Choice Cancer Care, is now operating as the Cancer Center at Wise Regional and is one of the most renowned cancer treatment centers in Texas.