Aspirin can lower colorectal cancer risks for people with specific gene

A new study has revealed that aspirin can lower colon cancer risk among people with high levels of a specific type of gene.

The researchers found that individuals whose colons had high levels of a specific gene product, 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) RNA, dramatically reduce their chances of developing colorectal cancer by taking aspirin, while analgesic provided no benefit to individuals whose colons showed low levels of 15-PGDH.

Senior author Sanford Markowitz, MD, PhD, Ingalls Professor of Cancer Genetics at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, said that these findings represent a clean Yes-No about who would benefit from aspirin.

The study was published in Science Translational Medicine.