Aspirin Use Associated with Reduced Risk of Colorectal Cancers

Taking aspirin regularly potentially reduces the risk for several digestive tract cancers, including rare ones, according to a meta-analysis published in Annals of Oncology.

This systematic review and meta-analysis analyzed data from published observational studies on aspirin and cancers of the digestive tract sites.

Using random-effects models researched estimated the pooled relative risk (RR) of cancer for regular aspirin use versus non-use.

Patients who regularly took aspirin were at a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, squamous-cell esophageal cancer, adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and gastric cardia, stomach cancer, hepato-biliary tract cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Sex, location, and other selected covariates did not appear to impact risk estimates.

For colorectal cancer, taking aspirin between 75 mg-100 mg per day conveys a risk reduction of 10% and a dose of 325 mg per day conveys a risk reduction of 35%.

Reference

Bosetti C, Santucci C, Gallus S, Martinetti M, La Vecchia C. Aspirin and the risk of colorectal and other digestive tract cancers: an updated meta-analysis through 2019. Ann Oncol. 2020;31(5):558‐568.