Washington: A new study on drug's preventive effects on colorectal cancer has indicated that taking aspirin reduces a person's risk of colorectal cancer.
The study conducted at University of Minnesota discovered that aspirin might exert its chemopreventive activity against colorectal cancer, at least partially, by normalizing the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in gastrointestinal precancerous lesions.
Hormel Institute's study revealed a previously unknown functional association between EGFR and COX-2 - an enzyme associated with pain and inflammation during the development of colorectal cancer.
Consistent clinical trial data strongly suggests that regular use of aspirin and other non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs lowers a person's lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer.
Dr. Zigang Dong said that they found that EGFR over expression was an early event in the formation of colorectal cancer that could be greatly reduced by regular use of aspirin.
The study is published in the open-access journal EBioMedicine.
