The finding comes from a large, randomized, double-blind trial in which the benefits from the aspirin were so striking that the study was stopped midway through the investigation so that patients receiving a placebo could take the medication instead.

The study found there were 37 percent fewer patients who developed adenomas a precursor to colon cancer among those taking a standard daily dose of aspirin, compared to patients who did not.

The study, initially conducted under the auspices of National Cancer Institute's Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), a consortium of clinical trials centers, involved 719 patients with a history of colon cancer at three dozen participating institutions from 1993-2000.

"While other research has shown that aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may decrease the risk of colon cancer in large populations, this is among the first to demonstrate in a scientific manner the protective properties of aspirin in people who have already had the disease," says Electra Paskett, chair of the CALGB committee that provided oversight to the study and associate director of population sciences at The Ohio State University C
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Contact: Michelle Gailiun
Gailiun.1@osu.edu
614-293-3737
Ohio State University
5-Mar-2003