Men who routinely take aspirin seem to be less likely to develop colorectal cancer, according to new research findings. However, the benefit requires the dose of aspirin to be higher than usually recommended for heart health, and to be taken over at least 6 years. After adjustment for risk factors, men who reported taking aspirin regularly (at least twice a week) had a 21 percent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with men who were not regular aspirin users.
However, men who had been taking aspirin regularly for five years or less did not have lower odds of colorectal cancer. Similarly, after stopping aspirin, the reduction in risk was no longer evident four years later.
The benefit associated with aspirin use was related to the dose of aspirin. Men who took the equivalent of up to one-and-half standard 325-milligram tablets of aspirin per week did not have a significantly lower risk of colorectal cancer, the researchers report.