Regular aspirin use may help lower risk of colorectal cancer, study finds, especially for those with unhealthy lifestyles

Regular aspirin use may keep the oncologist away, at least when it comes to colorectal cancer, according to a new study, and people with unhealthy lifestyles seemed to see the greatest benefit.

Regular aspirin use may keep the oncologist away, at least when it comes to colorectal cancer, according to a new study, and people with unhealthy lifestyles seemed to see the greatest benefit.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide, predicted to cause more than 52,500 deaths in the U.S. alone in 2023. About 153,020 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with the condition in 2023, and it’s become much more prevalent among people under 55, with numbers more than doubling in this group from a decade ago, studies show.

The causes of colorectal cancer can be genetic, but certain lifestyle factors also seem to raise risk, including eating an unhealthy diet, not getting enough exercise, drinking alcohol, smoking and having a high body mass index.

In addition to adopting healthier lifestyles, doctors have often recommended low-dose aspirin to reduce the risk of colon cancer. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force made the aspirin recommendation in 2016 but reversed course in 2022 because of concerns that it might cause bleeding. Aspirin can also cause gastrointestinal trouble.

With the change in recommendations, the authors of the new study decided to look at whether there were any groups that would benefit more from the practice and for whom aspirin would be worth the risk.

For the study, published Thursday in the journal JAMA Oncology, the authors examined data from more than 107,655 people who were a part of large datasets of medical professionals called the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Most of the participants were White, so the authors suggest that their research should be replicated with more diverse populations to see if the conclusion would be the same.

Study participants were tracked for at least a decade, and in addition to being monitored for colorectal cancer, they were given surveys to determine the healthiness of their lifestyles. The surveys assessed their BMI, alcohol intake and diet, whether they smoked and how much they exercised. The use of two or more regular-strength aspirin or six or more low-dose aspirin per week was considered regular aspirin use for the purpose of this research.