MEDIA RELEASE

11th May 2007

AN ASPIRIN A DAY KEEPS COLORECTAL CANCER AWAY
(www.thelancet.com Vol 369 May 12 2007)

The Aspirin Foundation is pleased to see from The Lancet website that further study is being published confirming previous suggestions that aspirin has an important role to play in preventing bowel cancer – one of the most frequent cancers in the United Kingdom.

“Long term use of 300mg or more of aspirin a day for five years can prevent colorectal cancer”, conclude the authors.

The study was conducted by Professor Peter Rothwell, University Department of Clinical Neurology, Oxford Radcliffe Infirmary and colleagues. In collaboration with the original investigators (Sir Richard Doll, Sir Richard Peto and Charles Warlow) they determined the delayed effect of aspirin by following up patients from two large randomised trials of aspirin performed in the late 1970s and 80s – the British Doctors’ Aspirin Trial and the UK-TIA Aspirin Trial.

The Aspirin Foundation comments that as with all medications, long term aspirin should be taken under medical supervision due to possible side effects but as the authors state, “The benefits are likely to outweigh the risks in individuals at increased risk of colon cancer”.

Ends