aspirin (more than 300 milligrams a day ) too risky to be taken as a preventative...

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/2007/03/06/3703211-sun.html

Aspirin too risky to prevent colon cancer
Tue, March 6, 2007
By AP


PHILADELPHIA -- People at average risk for colon cancer shouldn't take
Aspirin or painkillers like ibuprofen to try to prevent the disease, a
U.S. federal task force advises, because of the risk of bleeding and other
potential health problems.

The recommendation for the first time by the U.S. Preventive Services Task
Force includes those with a family history of colorectal cancer.

The panel said the potential risks of taking more than 300 milligrams a
day of Aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen
and naproxen -- brand names include Motrin, Advil and Aleve -- include a
higher risk for stroke, intestinal bleeding or kidney failure.

Those risks outweigh the potential benefits of preventing cancer, the task
force said in today's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. The task
force said that while there is good evidence that low doses of Aspirin,
usually less than 100 milligrams, can reduce the risk of heart disease, it
does not lower the rate of colon cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in men and women
and is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United
States, killing about 56,000 people each year.

Previous studies had suggested that a daily baby Aspirin could prevent
precancerous polyps that sometimes become colorectal cancer. But later
research showed low-dose Aspirin did little good at actually preventing
cancer.

Dr. Raymond DuBois, director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in
Tennessee, said he believes the task force's latest advice is reasonable.
"I think for the general population, the risk of either having some
gastrointestinal bleeding from Aspirin or cardiovascular side-effect from
some of these other medications . . . probably outweighs their use for
colon cancer."

.

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