Aspirin Not Recommended for General Bowel Cancer Prevention

A new Cochrane review, conducted by researchers from West China Hospital of Sichuan University, challenges the widespread belief that daily Aspirin use effectively prevents bowel cancer in the general population. The review, based on 10 randomized controlled trials involving 124,837 participants, found that Aspirin likely does not reduce bowel cancer risk in the first 5 to 15 years of use. While some studies hinted at long-term protective effects beyond 10-15 years, the certainty of this evidence is very low and prone to bias. Crucially, the review found clear evidence that daily Aspirin use immediately increases the risk of serious extracranial haemorrhage and probably raises the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. This risk applies even to low-dose Aspirin, with older adults and those with a history of ulcers or bleeding disorders being particularly vulnerable. Lead author Zhaolun Cai and senior authors Zhang Bo and Dan Cao emphasize that any potential long-term benefits must be weighed against immediate bleeding risks, advocating for a shift towards precision prevention tailored to individual risk profiles rather than a 'one-size-fits-all' approach.