Lower your risk of colon cancer

    1. Consider aspirin. Aspirin and related NSAIDs such as ibuprofen block the formation of prostaglandins, chemicals in the body that may promote the onset of colon cancer. A few small clinical trials have shown that certain prescription NSAIDs help prevent the formation of precancerous polyps.

Four large observational studies, totaling almost a million people, have found that regular aspirin users have as little as half the colon-cancer risk of nonusers. And low-dose aspirin definitely reduces the risk of heart attack. But any aspirin regimen poses risks of its own, notably gastrointestinal bleeding.

So don't start taking aspirin regularly without first talking with your doctor. And don't start taking other NSAIDs for preventive purposes at all, since they also pose risks and provide less certain benefits for the heart and possibly for the colon.
   

    2. Postmenopausal women: Consider estrogen therapy. Estrogen inhibits the growth of colon-cancer cells and may reduce bile-acid levels. Six of eight observational studies, including the three largest, have linked estrogen therapy with a 30 to 50 percent reduction in colon-cancer risk. That apparent benefit--combined with estrogen's better-documented benefits for the heart and bones--generally outweighs the slightly increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer among estrogen users. But the pros and cons of estrogen use are different for each individual, so again, women should discuss the decision with their doctor.
   

    3. Work out. The evidence that exercise fights disease is stronger for colon cancer than for any other malignancy, Overall, extensive observational research suggests that the most active people have only about half the risk of the least active people. Exercise, like fiber, seems to reduce risk mainly by speeding wastes through the colon. But it may also help by reducing levels of prostaglandins, insulin, and perhaps stress, another possible risk factor for colon cancer.
   

    4. Don't smoke. Some carcinogens in tobacco can reach the colon via the bloodstream. Recent research suggets that smoking may be responsible for one-fourth of all colon cancers.

Last updated Nov 26/06