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Researchers at Dartmouth University and colleagues around the country followed three groups of people who had recently had adenomas removed. One group took a placebo, a second group a "baby aspirin" (81 milligrams), and the third group a standard aspirin (325 milligrams). Compared to the group taking the placebo, those who took the "baby aspirin" were 19 percent less likely to develop another adenoma; those who took the standard-dose aspirin were 4 percent less likely to have another adenoma.
In the second study, done within the Cancer and Leukemia Group B and based at the University of North Carolina, researchers found a 35-percent reduction of adenomas in people who had already been treated for colorectal cancer. These people had taken the standard aspirin dose.
"Fortunately, aspirin seems to reduce the risk for adenoma when it is taken routinely at doses used in preventing heart disease or for arthritis," says Ernest Hawk, M.D., M.P.H., of NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention. "So patients using aspirin for these reasons may also be decreasing their risk for colon adenomas and cancer. Of course, aspirin - like any medicine - can cause serious side effects, such as stomach ulcers. It's important for people to carefully weigh the risks and benefits. Indeed, no one should take aspirin in an effort to prevent colon cancer without first consulting a doctor."
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