October 28, 2011

expert reaction to effects of aspirin on colorectal cancer incidence, as published in the Lancet

Research led by Prof Sir John Burn from Newcastle University tested the effects of giving aspirin to people at high risk of bowel cancer and whether it has any preventative effect.

Prof Chris Paraskeva, Cancer Research UK’s bowel cancer expert at the University of Bristol, said:

“This is a really important study showing that aspirin can significantly reduce the risk of bowel and other cancers in patients genetically at high risk of developing cancer. This adds to the growing body of evidence showing the importance of aspirin, and aspirin-like drugs, in the fight against cancer and emphasises how critical it is to carry out long term international research.”

David Willetts MP, Minister for Universities and Science, said:

“This groundbreaking study is an excellent achievement for the UK research base and a welcome addition to our robust body of evidence on cancer. It has the potential to save thousands of lives worldwide and is clear ev idence of the value of long-term studies showing simple steps that can be taken to improve people’s lives.”

‘Long-term effect of aspirin on cancer risk in carriers of hereditary colorectal cancer: an analysis from the CAPP2 randomised controlled trial, John Burn et al, published in The Lancet on Friday 28 October 2011.