HHS HealthBeat (September 28, 2007)

NSAIDs and colon cancer

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

When researcher Elizabeth Lamont of Massachusetts General Hospital looked at colon cancer in people with osteoarthritis, she noticed something:

"Patients with osteoarthritis took NSAIDS more often than those without osteoarthritis, and had a 15 percent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer." (10 seconds)

NSAIDS – common pain relievers like aspirin – seemed to be responsible. She reported her study, which was supported by the National Institutes of Health, in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

But Lamont says a benefit for people who’d take NSAIDS regularly anyway doesn’t mean everybody should take NSAIDs to reduce their risk of colon cancer. She suspects, based on other research, it’ll take more than the 81 milligrams of aspirin a day that some people take for heart health. And at higher levels, NSAIDS can lead to bleeding and kidney damage.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: September, 28 2007