It’s been all over the news in recent days. For years aspirin has been a tried and true way to help prevent heart attacks and heart disease, but new data is coming to light that could increase the intake of aspirin further. It’s being discovered that a low daily dose of aspirin, in addition to its heart healthy benefits, can significantly reduce the chance of many types of cancer from developing, most notably colorectal cancer.
According to a wide variety of sources, prolonged, low-dose daily use can actually enhance detection of early warning signs of colorectal cancer. The detection of blood in the stool (fecal occult blood) is vital in detecting colorectal cancers early. Up until very recently it was believed that aspirin could in fact skew the results, leaving physicians with an uncertain assessment of an individual’s cancer development.
In a test conducted in Germany between 2005 and 2009 ten percent of the 2000 participants were told to take regular low doses of aspirin. At the end of the test it was shown that via colonoscopy aspirin use does not have an effect on the way the results turn out, but with the two immunological tests centered around fecal occult blood results showed a massive difference in result sensitivity. Those who took aspirin had between a 58% and 70% sensitivity rate for early onset colorectal cancer, while those who did not take it only had a 32% to 36% sensitivity rate.
These findings could have a significant impact on the patterns and practices both patients and physicians take in the steps to preventing cancer and checking for it effectively. Obviously, this isn’t a cure all and the threat of colorectal cancer is still very real, but what this does prove is that with extra precaution it’s possible to stop the disease before it does serious harm. Listen to your doctor in terms of aspirin intake, and as always be in good health.
