Aspirin Reduces Bowel Cancer Risk in People with Lynch Syndrome

A new trial presented at the Cancer Research UK Prevention Conference found that taking aspirin daily, especially at lower doses, can significantly reduce the risk of bowel cancer in individuals with Lynch syndrome. This genetic condition increases the likelihood of developing various cancers, including bowel cancer, at a younger age due to DNA repair mutations. The trial, led by Professor Sir John Burn, involved 1,879 participants from the UK, Europe, and Australia, who took three different doses of aspirin (75-100mg, 300mg, or 600mg) for over five years.

Key Takeaways:

• The trial found that all three doses of aspirin reduced the risk of bowel cancer in people with Lynch syndrome, but the lowest dose (75-100mg) was just as effective as the higher doses.
• Taking aspirin at lower doses is likely to cause fewer side-effects, including bleeding and stomach ulcers, than at higher doses.
• The study suggests that low-dose aspirin (75-100mg) daily could cut the risk of bowel cancer in people with Lynch syndrome by at least 50%.
• People with Lynch syndrome, who already undergo regular colonoscopies, may benefit from taking aspirin daily to alleviate their anxiety about developing bowel cancer.
• The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence recommends that people with Lynch syndrome consider taking aspirin daily to prevent bowel cancer.
• The scientists leading the trial plan to formally apply to regulators to make it easier for GPs to prescribe aspirin as a bowel cancer prevention drug.

Statistics:

• 1,879 participants were involved in the trial from the UK, three other European countries, and Australia.
• The trial found that those on the lowest aspirin dose (75-100mg) did just as well as those on the higher doses, with fewer bowel cancers across all three doses (75-100mg: 42.6%; 300mg: 43.4%; 600mg: 41.5%).
• Around 3% of bowel cancer cases in the UK each year are attributed to Lynch syndrome.
• Over their lifetime, 70% of men and 50% of women with Lynch syndrome are diagnosed with bowel cancer, compared to 6% and 5% in the general population.
• Around one in 400 people in England has Lynch syndrome.

Sources:

• Cancer Research UK Prevention Conference 2023
• Stand Up To Cancer
• Professor Sir John Burn (Professor of Clinical Genetics at Newcastle University)
• Dr David Crosby (Head of Prevention and Early Detection Research at Cancer Research UK)
• National Institute of Health and Care Excellence