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The many uses for the common aspirin are numerous: it helps with aches and pains, reduces fever, and is recommended for preventing heart attacks and strokes and now aspirin can help colorectal cancer patients. MSNBC recently reports that aspirin is noted for its anticancer effects which suggest that regular aspirin use may help lower the risk of colon polyps however, a study published in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association is linking aspirin use and colon cancer survival. Whether or not aspirin has beneficial effects on other gastrointestinal diseases such as Celiac disease is yet to be seen.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease And Colon Cancer Affect Tens Of Thousands Of Americans Every Year

Being the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States after lung cancer, nearly 50,000 Americans will die from colorectal cancer each year according to the National Cancer Institute estimates. The study showed that patients with colorectal cancer who used aspirin on a regular basis before and after a diagnosis were almost one-third less likely to die of the disease than non aspirin users.

The research was observational, meaning researchers simply observed what patients were already doing, such as taking aspirin regularly for headaches. They looked at about 1,300 people with colorectal cancer who'd been followed for an average of 12 years. All the patients in the study had surgery for colon cancer and some had chemotherapy treatments.

The study adds a new, incredibly cost-effective dimension to colon cancer prevention by offering colorectal cancer patients a way to help themselves for such pennies a day. About one-third of the tumors could be tested for Cox-2. Aspirin helped only those patients whose tumors tested positive for the enzyme. Which would make sense since aspirin blocks the enzyme, which is thought to play a role in cancer's spread. Patients with cancer and colon polyps should always discuss with their doctors before adding a treatment to their health regimen.