NSAIDs prevent colon cancer.

Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) protect against colorectal cancer by inducing cell suicide pathways in intestinal stem cells that carry a certain mutated and dysfunctional gene. A study at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) and the School of Medicine has shown the potency of NSAID to prevent colorectal cancer. Scientists from animal studies and clinical trials have established the use of NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, lowers the risk of developing intestinal polyps, which can transform into colon cancer. A new study compares the effectiveness of aspirin and ibuprofen to prevent cancer.Mayo Clinic researchers and a team of collaborating scientists have determined the comparative effectiveness of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin and several supplements in preventing the recurrence of advanced neoplasia (polyps that are the precursor of colorectal cancer) after polyp removal. The study published in British medical journal the team showed that, for most patients, nonaspirin NSAIDs like ibuprofen work better than aspirin or a host of nutritional supplements to prevent the growth of advanced adenomas. Approximately 85 percent of all colorectal cancers are thought to result from untreated adenomatous polyps thus if the growth is stopped, prevention is possible in majority of these cases. Aspirin and other NSAIDs have a protective effect, and also other nutritional supplements have been studied for their effectiveness in preventing cancer. The team conducted a meta-analysis a statistical research method that involves combining data from multiple studies to obtain a single consolidated observation of clinical trial data from 15 randomized control trials, reviewing information from 12,234 patients. These studies included low- and high-dose aspirin therapy, calcium, vitamin D and folic acid, and compared them each alone or in various combinations. The study showed that nonaspirin NSAIDs are better than all the other compared therapies for preventing recurrence of adenomatous polyps within three to five years following initial polyp removal. However, because of some of the other health risks of nonaspirin NSAIDs, they may not be the best choice for everyone.