
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 16, 1994                   TAG: 9408160114
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ANOTHER STUDY SAYS ASPIRIN MAY LOWER COLORECTAL CANCER RISK

PHILADELPHIA - A study published Monday adds to evidence that people who regularly take aspirin substantially decrease their risk of developing cancer of the colon or rectum.

Researchers stopped short of recommending aspirin usage to prevent colorectal cancer. They called for further research on dosages because the best dose for preventing colorectal cancer may not be best for preventing heart disease. Taking an aspirin every other day is known to cut the risk of heart attacks.

Researchers found those taking aspirin at least twice a week had a 32 percent lower risk of getting colorectal cancer and a 50 percent lower risk of having the advanced form of the disease. Data suggested actual percentages may be even higher, said Dr. Edward Giovannucci of Harvard Medical School, which conducted the study.

Regular use of aspirin over many years also may reduce the likelihood that cancer from a tumor of the colon or rectum will spread, the study found.

It was published in the Philadelphia-based Annals of Internal Medicine.

Two experts not involved with the research welcomed the findings as significant, although they echo those of several previous studies.

The Harvard study is particularly good because of its size and the fact that researchers could adjust their findings for such factors as age, weight, family history, and smoking and dietary habits, said Dr. Harinder S. Garewal, a cancer prevention and control specialist at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

However, Dr. Moshe Shike of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York said that while the usefulness of aspirin in colorectal cancer prevention was not completely proven, there is strong evidence for other methods. They are early screening for tumors and a diet low in fat and high in fruit, vegetables, beans and cereals.

Colorectal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, with 152,000 new cases and 57,000 deaths last year in the United States.

Previous research indicates the effect of aspirin on colorectal cancer in women probably is the same, the report said.

by CNB