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Reduction in risk of colon cancer in people who took 600 mg of aspirin daily for at least two years, compared with those who took placebo. The randomized trial, published in The Lancet, focused on patients with Lynch syndrome, a rare genetic condition that predisposes people to colorectal and other cancers, so the findings don't easily translate to the general public. [via MedPage Today]
Danish researchers can offer some reassurance if you're concerned about your cell phone: Don't worry. Your device is probably safe.
The biggest study ever to examine the possible connection between cell phones and cancer found no evidence of any link, suggesting that billions of people who are rarely more than a few inches from their phones have no special health concerns.The Danish study of more than 350,000 people concluded there was no difference in cancer rates between people who had used a cell phone for about a decade and those who did not.Last year, a separate large study found no clear connection between cell phones and cancer. But it showed a hint of a possible association between very heavy phone use and glioma, a rare but often deadly form of brain tumor. However, the numbers of heavy users was not sufficient to make the case.That study of more than 14,000 people in multiple countries, in addition to animal experiments, led the International Agency for Research on Cancer to classify electromagnetic energy from cell phones as "possibly carcinogenic," adding it to a list that also includes things such as coffee and gasoline engine exhaust.But that designation does not mean the phones necessarily pose a risk. Cell phones do not emit the same kind of radiation as that used in some medical tests or found in other sources such as radon in soil.MORE: WHO Says Cell Phone Radiation is 'Possibly Carcinogenic.' Now What?
Two U.S. agencies — the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission — have found no evidence that cell phones are linked to cancer.Yet fears of a link persist, despite the fact that cancer rates have not risen since cell phones were introduced.In the latest research, published online Thursday in the journal BMJ, researchers updated a previous study examining 358,403 cell phone users aged 30 and over in Denmark from 1990 to 2007. They found cell phone users did not have a higher cancer risk compared with those without cell phones.Cancer rates in people who used cell phones for about 10 years were similar to rates in people without a cell phone. Cell phone users were also no more likely to get a tumor in the part of the brain closest to where phones are usually held against the head. The study was paid for by the government's Danish Strategic Research Council."Our study provides little evidence for a causal association, but we cannot rule out a small to moderate increase in risk for subgroups of heavy users," said Patrizia Frei, of the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen, Denmark, one of the paper's authors."This is encouraging news, but it doesn't mean we're at the end of the road," said Hazel Nunn, head of Health Evidence and Information at Cancer Research U.K., which was not linked to the study.
About three-quarters of the world's population, more than 5 billion people, use a cell phone. That makes it difficult for scientists to compare cancer incidence in people who use the devices versus those who do not.
MORE: Cell Phones: How Precautionary Should Our Principles Be?
Others disputed the Danish study's findings. The advocacy group MobileWise, which believes cell phones pose a health risk, said the study wasn't long enough to consider the long-term risk, since brain tumors can take decades to develop.In an accompanying editorial in BMJ, Anders Ahlbom and Maria Feychting of Sweden's Karolinska Institute wrote that one of the study's strengths was its use of objective data from cell phone records. Previous studies have been criticized for relying on people to recall their cell phone habits from decades earlier.
In about 30 other studies done in Europe, New Zealand and the U.S., patients with brain tumors have not reported using their cell phones more often than unaffected people.
The editorial writers pointed out that research on cell phones and cancer was not sparked by any evidence of a connection, but from concerns that something about the relationship between radio frequency fields and human physiology had been "overlooked or misunderstood." Research into the safety of cell phones is now "extensive," they wrote.Nunn said studies with longer-term data were still needed and that there was little information on children's exposure to cell phones.LIST: 5 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Cell Phone Radiation Exposure
There was no biological evidence for how cell phones might cause cancer, unlike, for example, the proof that tobacco is carcinogenic, she added.Cell phones send signals to nearby towers via radio waves, a form of energy similar to microwaves. But the radiation produced by cell phones cannot directly damage DNA and is different from stronger types of radiation like X-rays or ultraviolet light. At very high levels, radio frequency waves from cell phones can heat up body tissue, but that is not believed to damage human cells.Nunn said people should not change their cell phone habits based on the current evidence, except perhaps for limiting their kids' use of the devices.
"There are a lot more worrying things in the world than mobile phones," she said.—By MARIA CHENG
Both Saoirse Fitzgerald and her mother, Kezia, have battled cancer this year.A family faces new setbacks as both mom, baby have struggled with cancerFamily relies on food stamps after dad loses job and health insuranceMedical events are leading cause of bankruptcies, 2009 study says(CNN) -- Since Kezia Fitzgerald and her 1-year-old daughter, Saiorse, started cancer treatments this year, the disease has upended nearly every aspect of their lives.
CNNHealth.com told the family's story in September after both mother and daughter received cancer diagnoses. A little more than a month later, the family has faced more setbacks: uncertainty over Saiorse's health, a father's lost job, no income and food stamps.
After Saiorse's seventh round of chemotherapy, doctors found cancer in her bone marrow this month. An earlier test had not shown any signs of cancer.
"That was a huge blow to us," said her dad, Mike Fitzgerald. "That's bad news for neuroblastoma in stage 4."
Neuroblastoma develops in young kids when their immature nerve cells turn into tumors instead of cells and fibers. Cancer is "staged" to indicate its spread; stage 4 is the furthest the disease can progress.
Saoirse went through her eighth round of chemotherapy using a potent drug last week. This drug is highly toxic since it has to reach Saiorse's bone marrow. It's also much stronger than the drugs her mother has taken for Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Saoirse Fitzgerald has spent the last six months of her life getting chemotherapy and staying in hospitals. The treatments have taken a toll on the toddler.
Both her adrenal glands have been removed because they were cancerous. Saiorse also has partial hearing loss and will not be able to have children when she's older due to the effects of chemotherapy, her father said.
Saoirse, who is usually bubbly and curious, petting the family dog and scampering around the house, now weakly clings to her mom and dad. With three anti-nausea drugs making her sleepy, she's quiet and listless, her parents said. Many mornings, she wakes up vomiting.
"For me to see that, it breaks my heart," her dad said. "I want to take it all away. I should be the one going through this, not her."
The family's blog
Whenever she has to take another medication, Saiorse looks deeply at her daddy.
"I watch her eyes," Mike Fitzgerald said. "They speak so much. We're giving her three to four different medications. I can see in her eyes -- 'Why? Please let this end.' She's so stressed about it."
The doctors don't know if Saoirse's neuroblastoma is the type resistant to chemotherapy. In two weeks, she returns to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York to get another bone marrow biopsy to see if the samples are cancer-free.
Saoirse's mom has had better news. After her diagnosis with stage 3 Hodgkin's lymphoma in January, her cancer is in remission as of September.
"I don't have 100% of my energy back, but I'm getting there," Kezia Fitzgerald said.
The additional strain is that Saoirse's dad lost his job at the end of October. The sole breadwinner for the family, he had taken a long leave of absence from his job at a car dealership to take care of his wife and child.
Mike Fitzgerald and his daughter play in the hospital in August. "I should be the one going through this, not her," he says."It hasn't been a very good couple of weeks," Mike Fitzgerald said.
His employer allowed him to retain his health insurance during a three-month leave after Saoirse's diagnosis in May. The dealership also extended his health insurance for two extra months when he was shuttling in and out of hospitals. Fitzgerald remains grateful and said his former employer went out of its way to accommodate his family.
"I don't want to be out of work now," Fitzgerald said. "I have no choice. It doesn't do my family any good. I hope to get back to work and get a routine going."
Although Fitzgerald lost his health insurance with the job termination, the family lives in Massachusetts and is able to receive coverage through MassHealth, the public health insurance program in the state for low- or middle-income residents.
Components of the Massachusetts health care overhaul passed in 2006 are similar to the Affordable Care Act, a nationwide health reform that will require individuals to have health insurance.
For the Fitzgeralds, MassHealth pays for COBRA, which gives workers who have lost their health benefits the right to continue coverage for a limited period. The family is responsible for deductibles and co-payments for medication and treatment.
With no income, the family now relies on food stamps. Mike Fitzgerald said he worries about making car and house payments with mounting health bills.
A 2009 study found that 62% of bankruptcies were medically related and that on average, these families had nearly $18,000 in out-of-pocket expenses. A majority of the people with these medically related bankruptcies had health insurance.
Saiorse's mom said she considers her family pretty fortunate.
"We're lucky that we do have good health insurance," she said. "It makes a big difference in the cost. But at the same time, it's too bad that a lot of people get in a situation where if they want to have a treatment, they ... have to sell everything they own and they never actually can afford it."
The family travels to New York for five to seven days for Saiorse's intensive cancer treatments. They decided to take her to Sloan-Kettering because they thought the treatment available there would be less invasive. The treatment is not available locally.
Saoirse's antibody treatment uses her own immune system to target and kill neuroblastoma cells. She needs a cancer-free bone marrow biopsy before beginning that treatment.
"You have to be optimistic," Kezia Fitzgerald said. "You wouldn't be able to get through it. We have moments where we get upset. We just have to figure it out. It's a challenge in problem-solving. We have to do everything to help her get better."
WASHINGTON (AP) — It turns out that catching cancer early isn't always as important as we thought.Some tumors are too slow-growing to ever threaten your life. Some are so aggressive that finding them early doesn't make much difference. And today's treatments are much better for those somewhere in the middle.Those complexities are changing the longtime mantra that cancer screening will save your life. In reality, it depends on the type of cancer, the test and who gets checked when."We can find cancer early. We can reduce the burden of the disease. But along the way, we're learning our tests are not as perfect as we'd like," says the American Cancer Society's Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, a longtime screening proponent. "We're learning that we're now finding cancer that would in fact never cause harm."Now cancer specialists are struggling to find a new balance: to quit over-promising the power of early detection and to help people understand that the tests themselves have risks — while not scaring away those who really need it.Least controversial are cervical and colorectal cancer screenings. They can spot pre-cancerous growths that are fairly easy to remove, although even some of those tests can be used too frequently. More serious questions surround other cancers — like which men, if any, should get a PSA blood test to check for prostate cancer, and whether women should start mammograms in their 40s or wait until they're 50.Also in question is whether doctors will be able to head off another looming controversy: Just which smokers and ex-smokers should get a pricey CT scan that can detect lung cancer but also is prone to false alarms? A recent study found the scans could save some lives. But guidelines aren't due out until early next year that would decide who is at enough risk to outweigh the test's potential harm — such as a risky, invasive biopsy to tell if a suspicious spot is cancer or just an old smoking scar.Yet already people like 80-year-old Fred Voss of Sunderland, Md., are seeking out the tests."It was a big relief, and it gave me something to watch," says Voss, who participated in the CT study but wanted to get tested again to make sure nothing had changed.Today, guidelines for how to handle some of the most common cancer screenings conflict. And, they're written for the average patient when many people may need a more customized decision, says Dr. Jeanne Mandelblatt of Georgetown University. She has studied breast cancer risk for a government panel that recommends most women not begin screening for the disease until age 50.Consider this, she says: The average woman has a 3 percent lifetime risk of dying of breast cancer, a low risk for a disease that women find so scary. But the chances of getting breast cancer do gradually increase with age and other circumstances.So if you're 40 and have several risk factors — like dense breasts and close relatives with the disease — then you have the same risk as an average 50-year-old, not an average 40-year-old, and might consider earlier mammograms, Mandelblatt says. Few primary-care doctors have the time to go into that kind of detail.Adding to the confusion are testimonials from cancer survivors that a screening saved their lives. Dartmouth researchers recently studied how often that's true for mammograms, and estimated that about 13 percent of women in their 50s whose breast cancer is detected by the tests survive as a result.What else plays a role? Treatments have dramatically improved in recent years, saving more lives. Also, increasingly powerful mammograms are detecting more low-risk tumors, the kind that probably wouldn't have threatened a woman's life in the first place.Still, mammograms are "not perfect, but they're the best we have," cautions Mandelblatt. She thinks the Dartmouth estimate is somewhat low.PSA tests for prostate cancer are a much tougher call. Last month, a government panel recommended an end to routine PSA screenings, a step further than other major medical groups that urge men to weigh the pros and cons and decide for themselves. But the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found limited, if any, evidence that screening average men improves survival. That's largely because so many men are diagnosed with slow-growing tumors that never would have killed them; still, they have treatments that can cause incontinence, impotence or even lead to death."We really — underline the word 'really' — have to pull back the messaging on prostate cancer," says the cancer society's Lichtenfeld, who himself isn't sure of the test's net worth. PSA testing took off on the basis of "blind faith" that they would work, not science, he says.What really worries Lichtenfeld is that ever more powerful cancer screenings are being developed, before doctors have a way to tell exactly which early tumors should be removed."We have cells in our body that are abnormal all the time, and our bodies deal with it," he says. "Our technology takes us further and further down the early-detection path, and we need to sort through all this."___EDITOR'S NOTE — Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press.Associated Press
LONDON | Fri Oct 28, 2011 2:32am EDT
LONDON (Reuters) - Taking two aspirin a day for two years reduces the long-term risk of bowel cancer in people with a family history of the disease by around 60 percent, according to a British study published Friday.
The finding could also have implications for the wider population, though more research is needed to determine an ideal dose for different groups of people.
In recent years there has been an intense debate about the merits of routinely taking aspirin, which increases the risk of stomach ulcers and internal bleeding, but also protects against heart problems.
John Burn of Newcastle University believes his study -- the first randomized controlled trial into the effect of aspirin on cancer outcomes -- is a key piece of evidence validating the case for aspirin.
Previous research into cancer and aspirin, a cheap drug originally developed by Bayer more than a century ago, has been based on less robust observational studies.
Burn's study looked at people with Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition predisposing them to a range of cancers. It affects at least one in 1,000 people and around half of them develop cancer, mainly in the bowel and womb.
His data suggests that for every 10,000 cancers prevented, there could be 1,000 extra ulcers due to aspirin.
"There's a trade-off. If we could get by on a smaller dose, then we could potentially avoid a lot of those ulcers," Burn told a news conference.
For the general population, taking low-dose aspirin might be a more sensible option, and a major new multi-dose trial should shed more light on this in the next few years, he added.
DELAYED EFFECT
Burn and colleagues studied 861 people with Lynch syndrome, who began a two-year course of either 600 milligrams a day of aspirin or a placebo between 1999 and 2005.
An initial analysis in 2007 found no difference in cancer rates between the groups. But it turned out the effect was delayed and in 2010 there was a clear divergence, with 19 new bowel cancers among those on aspirin and 34 in the placebo arm.
What is more, among those patients who stuck to the full two-year regimen of pill-taking -- some 60 percent of the total -- the effects were more pronounced, and strongly statistically significant, with a 63 percent reduction in bowel cancer cases from 23 in the placebo group versus 10 in the aspirin group.
"What we have finally shown is that aspirin has a major preventative effect on cancer but this doesn't become apparent until years later," Burn said.
How exactly aspirin provides protection is unclear, but Burn said the delayed effect suggested aspirin may hit faulty stem cells before they mutate into pre-cancerous cells.
The study, which was published online by the Lancet medical journal and part-funded by Bayer, also found some evidence of a reduction in other solid cancers linked to Lynch syndrome.
"This is a really important study showing that aspirin can significantly reduce the risk of bowel and other cancers in patients genetically at high risk of developing cancer," said Chris Paraskeva of the University of Bristol, who was not involved in the research.
In a commentary in the Lancet, Andrew Chan of Harvard Medical and Scott Lippman of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston said the findings were "compelling" and arguably supported more general recommendations to consider aspirin for preventing bowel cancer, based on individual patients' risks.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Will Waterman)
Kathleen Maxian says her cancer could have been prevented, and now she's angry. Myriad Genetics owns the patent on breast cancer genesMyriad offers one test that catches most abnormalities, then charges $700 for secondCompany defends BART test, based on separate technology (CNN) -- Imagine going in for a cancer screening, and the technician turns to you and says, "We're finished, but if I push this button over here, the machine can detect even smaller cancers. But here's the hitch: You have to pay $700 if you want me to push this button."
"You'd be enraged," says Ellen Matloff, director of cancer genetic counseling at Yale University Cancer Center. "You'd want to know why you have to pay extra to push that button. Why didn't they just do it right the first time?"
Doctors and genetic counselors interviewed by CNN say that Myriad Genetics in Utah is doing something very similar with tests that determine if a woman has a potentially dangerous genetic abnormality linked to breast cancers.
Most breast cancers do not seem to be genetic. Instead, they're the result of cells gone wild for no apparent reason. However, some women get breast cancer because a bad gene runs in their families. When testing shows that a woman carries such a gene, she has a much higher chance of getting breast cancer. These women usually then get more frequent MRIs, ultrasounds and mammograms to detect a cancer, and sometimes even choose to remove their breasts to prevent a cancer from growing in the first place.
Myriad owns the patent on breast cancer genes and so is the only company that can test for them. It offers one test that catches most, but not all, abnormalities, and then charges nearly all patients $700 for a second test that catches the rest.
If a woman can't afford the $700 fee, she may miss an abnormality, which could mean the difference between life and death.
"What Myriad's doing -- charging extra for this test -- is really sleazy," Matloff says. "They're collecting blood money off my patients."
Myriad defends the $700 charge for its second test, called BART, even though many patients can't afford it and insurance won't pay for it.
"The BART test is based on different and separate technology," Rebecca Chambers, a Myriad spokeswoman, wrote in an e-mail to CNN. "[It's] based on a sophisticated new technology developed exclusively by Myriad."
She added that Myriad is trying to persuade insurance companies to pay for the test and that it offers financial assistance to patients who meet certain criteria, and monthly interest-free payments to those why do owe the $700 fee.
"Myriad's mission is to improve the patient's quality of life and to save lives," she added in the e-mail.
Understanding the furor
To understand the anger and bitterness that patients, doctors and genetic counselors harbor toward Myriad, it's important to know the basics of genetic testing.
In 1996, Myriad offered its first test for breast cancer genetic abnormalities. Known as the BRCA test, it's been revolutionary and has saved countless lives: If the test reveals that a woman has a genetic abnormality, it means she has a very high chance of getting breast cancer in the future, and some women then opt to remove their breasts as a pre-emptive strike against cancer.
Women who test positive for BRCA also sometimes opt to have their ovaries removed, since having a breast cancer gene abnormality gives them a higher-than-normal chance of getting ovarian cancer as well.
"Genetic testing has been a godsend for so many women," Matloff says.
Myriad calls its test the Comprehensive BRACAnalysis, but it soon became clear that it wasn't truly comprehensive. It did not catch all genetic abnormalities linked to cancer, and so in 2006, the company began selling BART, the newer test that catches genetic defects that the original test misses. Doctors and counselors expected Myriad to offer BART as part of its original test, but instead the company offers it separately and charges nearly everyone $700 to take it.
"This is so irresponsible of Myriad," says Molly Klein, director of genetic counseling at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta.
She and other genetic counselors have been fighting to get Myriad to stop the $700 charge. They say they worry that women who tested negative under the first test feel assured that they don't have a bad gene when in fact they might, and wouldn't know they're at increased risk for getting breast cancer.
Klein and other genetic counselors say that when Myriad came up with an improvement in its colon cancer test, it wrapped it into its original screening at one price. The counselors say they think Myriad handled the breast cancer test differently, charging a separate fee, because it has no competition.
"From a business perspective, I guess I understand why Myriad is doing what they're doing, because this is a good chunk of money for them," says Kristen Shannon, the senior genetic counselor at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. "But I feel really strongly that Myriad is doing the wrong thing."
"That accusation is incorrect," Chambers wrote in an e-mail to CNN.
"I'm so angry"
For Eileen Kelly and Kathleen Maxian, money wasn't the issue.
The two sisters were stunned three years ago when Kelly was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40. They breathed a sigh of relief when Kelly tested negative for the BRCA gene using Myriad's original test. This meant Kelly's cancer was a fluke, and not something her sister or other relatives needed to worry about.
Then two years later, at the age of 47, Maxian found out she had ovarian cancer. Surgeons removed her ovaries and found the cancer had spread to her abdomen. After chemotherapy, the cancer came back a year later.
"I told my surgeon my sister had genetic testing, but it came back negative," Maxian says. "My surgeon just hung her head down and shook it back and forth. I was like, 'What? How weird is that?' "
The surgeon told Maxian that her sister's test might have been incomplete. She instructed Maxian to ask her sister, who lives in Atlanta, to find out if she'd received the second test, BART, in addition to the original breast cancer genetic test.
Kelly found out she had not had not received BART. She went back to Piedmont Hospital to have it done, and the test was positive. Maxian and her father then had BART, and it turns out that they, too, carry a genetic abnormality.
Women who have genetic abnormalities like Maxian's have a 50% to 85% chance of getting breast cancer, and a 10% to 40% chance of getting ovarian cancer. She says that if her sister had had BART from the beginning, she also would have taken the test, and the positive result would have made her remove her breasts and ovaries "in a minute."
"If BART had been done from the beginning, it could have saved Kathleen from getting ovarian cancer," says Dr. Nefertiti duPont, Maxian's surgeon at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York.
"It could have prevented my cancer, or at least caught it early," Maxian adds. "Now my cancer is so advanced, I have only a 20% chance of being alive five years from now. I'm so angry."
Klein, the genetic counselor at Piedmont Hospital, says she never mentioned BART to Kelly, nor to most of the women who came in for testing at that time. She says information from Myriad led her to believe that BART mutations were extremely rare among women like Kelly without an extremely strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer. When some women do have a very strong family history, Myriad will do a BART analysis for free as part of its original test, and has spent $20 million on these tests.
"We were left with the impression that BART wasn't necessary for families like Eileen's," Klein says. "It just didn't seem urgent."
But over time, it's become clear that Myriad might have been wrong about who needs BART testing, counselors say. Several studies, such as one done by Shannon at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, show that a substantial number of women had BART mutations even without a very strong family history. Now, Klein and others offer BART to all their patients, but many can't do it because of the cost.
"This is all really frustrating," Klein says. "We know we're missing women out there with BART mutations because they can't afford to pay. If you miss just one BART mutation, that woman could be in danger, and so could her mother, her sisters and her other relatives."
"It's heartbreaking," says Mollie Hutton, Maxian's genetic counselor at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. "It's so sad that now Kathleen is fighting for her life when something could have been done to avoid it. It's just crappy."
Chambers, the Myriad spokeswoman, says studies show "less than one percent of all women tested" have a BART mutation.
What to do when you get breast cancer genetic testing
If you're about to get breast cancer genetic testing, specifically ask if you'll receive BART testing.
If you've had breast cancer genetic testing, don't assume you received the BART test.
Also, don't assume that the place where you had the testing will get back in touch with you to let you know about BART. CNN contacted four genetic testing centers, each of which did something different: One center quickly contacted all patients to tell them about BART; another contacted only patients they considered high risk; the third contacted patients three years after BART became available; and the fourth still hasn't contacted patients to tell them about BART.
Genetic counselors recommend that you call the place where you had testing every year or so to see if there have been any improvements in the test.
Most women will have to decide whether they want to spend $700 to get BART testing.
Eileen Kelly wishes she'd had the opportunity to spend that money.
"I'm so mad at Myriad. It's even hard just to talk about it," Kelly says, starting to cry. "A test could have put the information in our hands that could have prevented my sister's cancer. It's frustrating and really hard to comprehend."
Aaron Cooper contributed to this report.
Does and aspirin a day keep the cancer surgeon away? A daily dose of aspirin should be given to people at high risk of bowel cancer, say scientists. Two pills a day for two years reduced the incidence of bowel cancer by 63% in a group of 861 at-risk patients, a study reported in The Lancet said.
Newcastle University's Prof Sir John Burn, who led the study, said the evidence "seems overwhelmingly strong".
Other experts said the findings added to a growing body of proof that aspirin could be used in the fight on cancer.
The study was conducted on 861 patients with Lynch syndrome, which affects one in every 1,000 people.
They struggle to detect and repair damaged DNA which means they are more likely to develop a range of cancers including those of the bowel, womb and stomach.
'Good deal'When looking at all patients in the trial, those in the group given 600 milligrams of aspirin every day developed 19 tumours compared to 34 tumours in the other "control" group, a reduction of 44%.
Continue reading the main storyPeople who've got a clear family history of, particularly, bowel cancer should seriously consider adding low dose aspirin to their routine and particularly those people who've got a genetic predisposition”End Quote Prof Sir John Burn Newcastle University When the researchers looked at just those patients who took the medication for at least two years the reduction was 63%.
There was also an effect on other cancers linked to Lynch syndrome, which fell by half in the treatment group.
Prof Sir John Burn, from Newcastle University, said there were 30,000 adults in the UK with Lynch syndrome.
If all were given the treatment he said it would prevent 10,000 cancers over 30 years and he speculated that this could possibly prevent 1,000 deaths from the disease.
However, there would also be side effects.
"If we can prevent 10,000 cancers in return for 1,000 ulcers and 100 strokes, in most people's minds that's a good deal," he said.
"People who've got a clear family history of, particularly, bowel cancer should seriously consider adding low dose aspirin to their routine and particularly those people who've got a genetic predisposition."
Aspirin is already well known to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in high risk patients.
Continue reading the main story
Audrey Francis describes herself as "a bit of a walking time bomb".
There is a history of cancer in her family and she has been diagnosed with Lynch syndrome.
Seventeen years ago she had a hysterectomy. That was when doctors discovered she had not one but two cancers - in the womb and the ovaries.
Tests showed she had a chunk of DNA missing which was causing the cancers: "I actually had the inability to stop the cancers developing," she said.
She took part in the trial and has since decided to self medicate with aspirin: "I've got my fingers crossed and I'm hoping it'll do the trick for me."
Other studies over the past two decades have suggested the pain killer reduced cancer risk, but this was the first randomised control trial, specifically for aspirin in cancer, to prove it.In 2010, a study suggested patients given aspirin had a 25% lower risk of death during that trial.
Prof Peter Rothwell, from Oxford University, who conducted that study said the latest research "certainly helps to build a consistent picture, all pointing in the same direction that there is a link with cancer".
Cancer Research UK's Prof Chris Paraskeva said: "This adds to the growing body of evidence showing the importance of aspirin, and aspirin-like drugs, in the fight against cancer."
'Balanced argument'One of the questions asked by the research into aspirin was whether healthy people with no family risks should take the drug.
The lower the risk of heart attack or cancer, the lower the benefit of taking aspirin, yet there are still potentially deadly side effects.
Sir John said that it was a "finely balanced argument" and that he decided the risks were worth it for him.
"I think where we're headed for is people that are in their 50s and 60s would look very seriously at adding a low dose aspirin to their daily routine because it's giving protection against cancer, heart attack and stroke.
"But if they do that they've got to have their eyes wide open. They will increase their risk of ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeds and very rarely they will have a stroke caused by the aspirin."
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Share this on:FacebookTwitterDiggdeliciousredditMySpaceStumbleUponLinkedInViadeo Can Hollywood take on cancer? By Lilly Workneh, Special to CNNOctober 27, 2011 -- Updated 1520 GMT (2320 HKT)if (typeof cnnArticleGallery == "undefined") {var cnnArticleGallery = {};if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList =="undefined"){cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList = [];}}var expGalleryPT00 = new ArticleExpandableGallery();expGalleryPT00.setImageCount(14);cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Cancer\'s role in Hollywood films", 1);.cnn_html_slideshow_metadata > .cnn_html_media_utility::before {padding-right: 1px;content: '>>';font-size: 9px;line-height: 12px;color: red;}.cnnstrylccimg640 {margin: 0 27px 14px 0; /*note the exclusion of the top margin*/}.captionText {filter: alpha(opacity=100);opacity: 1;}.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a, .cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited, .cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link, .captionText a, .captionText a:visited, .captiontext a:link {color: #004276;outline: medium none;
Hollywood has tried many times to bring the harsh realities of cancer to the big screen, but audiences don't always want to take on the difficult subject. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":1,"title":"Cancer\'s role in Hollywood films"}"50/50" starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, left, and Seth Rogen, takes a comedic spin on cancer. A rare spinal cancer strikes 27-year-old Adam and he relies on his best friend, Kyle, to have his back, literally and figuratively. The movie received acclaim from critics and USA Today gave it an "A," saying it "... draws humor out of a young man's illness, walks a tightrope of tragicomedy and touches on all the right points." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":2,"title":"\'50/50\' (2011)"}Breast cancer hits five female characters in this Lifetime original movie directed by Jennifer Anniston, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Patty Jenkins and Penelope Spheeris. The movie's plot brings humor and drama to deliver five original stories about the effects of breast cancer and many of the shared experiences women face. The movie made its debut in October.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":3,"title":"\'Five\' (2011)"}Sara (Cameron Diaz, left) and Brian (Jason Patric) are desperate to keep their cancer stricken daughter alive. The two decide to conceive another child with hopes that the baby will be a genetic bone marrow match. However, once born, the youngest sister sues her parents for the rights to her own body, providing a dramatic plot that pushes the boundaries of their family cohesion and moral and legal issues. The New York Times believed that it "...takes on a very tough subject...but ultimately it is too soft, too easy, and it dissolves like a tear-soaked tissue." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":4,"title":"\'My Sister\'s Keeper\' (2009)"}Blue-collar worker Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman, right), shares a hospital room with Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson), a billionaire corporate businessman. They discover they have more in common than suffering cancer. The two escape the hospital to squeeze a lifetime of goals into their last living days, all the while creating a close bond. However, USA Today said that it was "...superficial, manipulative and schmaltzy."cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":5,"title":"\'The Bucket List\' (2007)"}Ann (Sarah Polley) is a 24-year-old woman who learns she has cancer and only a few months left to live. "My Life Without Me," records the journey of her bucket list in a movie the New York Post called "...a strangely life-affirming work."cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":6,"title":"\'My Life Without Me\' (2003) "}Troubled high school student Landon Carter (Shane West) is sentenced to community service and active membership in the school's drama club, where he unexpectedly falls in love with good-girl Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore). Jamie, the daughter of the town's Baptist minister, lives a more conservative lifestyle while hiding her problems with cancer. The Chicago Tribune gave it a "D," saying that it ".... scrapes the bottom of the melodramatic barrel." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":7,"title":"\'A Walk to Remember\' (2002) "}George (Kevin Kline) loses his job in architecture and soon discovers that he has terminal cancer. George sets out to reconnect with his son Sam (Hayden Christiansen), as they spend a summer together by the sea building his dream home. The New York Times said "...nothing about it feels organic." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":8,"title":"\'Life as a House\' (2001)"}Sara Deever (Charlize Theron) has a bubbly personality and uses her charm to attract bad-mannered and heartless men and transform them into gentlemen. Her candidate for November, Nelson Moss (Keanu Reeves), soon breaks her cycle as the two fall deeply in love. Unknown to Nelson, Sara has cancer and that's the reason she kept relationships so short. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":9,"title":"\'Sweet November\' (2001)"}A family's dynamics change as a Harvard-grad daughter, Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellweger) is asked to return home to aid her dying mother, Kate (Meryl Streep), who is battling cancer. Time at home reminds Ellen of her mother's annoying holiday preparations and lunches. However, Ellen realizes that the moments spent with her mother may be some of her last. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":10,"title":"\'One True Thing\' (1998) "}An astrocytoma brain tumor reverses its effect by stimulating brain cells rather than destroying them in the mind of George Malley (John Travolta). The result is a more active brain and a bizarre power of telekinesis, which attracts interest from the FBI and local officials. George becomes famous for his newfound powers and falls in love with Lace (Kyra Sedgwick). He tries to hide from authorities while still helping the community. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":11,"title":"\'Phenomenon\' (1996)"}Ignorance leads the actions of Bob Jones (Michael Keaton) as he fails to accept his cancer diagnosis and shows little concern for his illness. He has a successful career and is immensely in love with his pregnant wife, Gail (Nicole Kidman), when an abrupt change causes Bob to realize that his time is limited. He confides to his video camera, recording his thoughts and personal moments, to leave behind a video legacy of his life. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":12,"title":"\'My Life\' (1993)"}CC Bloom (Bette Midler) dreams of becoming a singer/actress. Her best friend, Hilary (Barbara Hershey), aspires to follow her father's footsteps in becoming a lawyer. As time goes on, the childhood friends find life taking them in separate directions. However, they soon reunite as CC returns to care for Hilary, who is suffering from cancer. Death comes soon for Hilary and CC vows to take care of her daughter as she balances her time as a Broadway star. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":13,"title":"\'Beaches\' (1988)"}Friendship transforms into love as Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV's (Ryan O'Neal) fate crosses paths with music student Jennifer Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw). Unfortunately, Oliver's wealthy family frowns on the relationship and the two struggle to make ends meet. The situation becomes harder when Oliver discovers that Jenny has leukemia. His father denies requests for money to help with medical payments -- resulting in Jenny's death. "Love means never having to say you're sorry," says Oliver in response to his father's apology in failing to help. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":14,"title":"\'Love Story\' (1970)"}HIDE CAPTIONCancer's role in Hollywood films'50/50' (2011)'Five' (2011)'My Sister's Keeper' (2009)'The Bucket List' (2007)'My Life Without Me' (2003) 'A Walk to Remember' (2002) 'Life as a House' (2001)'Sweet November' (2001)'One True Thing' (1998) 'Phenomenon' (1996)'My Life' (1993)'Beaches' (1988)'Love Story' (1970)<<<
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14>>>STORY HIGHLIGHTS"50/50" is one of Hollywood's many cancer-themed films moviegoers did not rush to seeCritics praised the movie yet shunned similar ones that failed to give a sense of realnessSome cancer patients believe these movies do not accurately portray real-life cancer cases(CNN) -- Hollywood's release of "50/50" in September received praise from top critics, but didn't do as well at the box office.
The movie, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, is screenwriter Will Reiser's humorous take on his own experiences as a cancer patient.
"Everything that we put in the movie, we wanted it to feel like it was real and honest," says Reiser in an interview with CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Critics give credit to movies, such as "50/50," that they believe deliver a sense of authenticity and evoke an emotional response.
To patients like Pamela Cromwell, cancer-themed movies do not accurately portray the truth behind real-life cancer diagnoses.
"'50/50' was a great start, but the majority of movies reinforce the stigma that to be a 'certified' cancer patient you must appear weak, decrepit and on your death bed," says Cromwell, a breast cancer patient of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia.
Many patients also feel that some of these movies fail to show the daily physical and mental effects of cancer.
Seth Rogen and Will Reiser on '50/50' 
Seth Rogen isn't making fun of cancer
Seth Rogen's new film: 'cancer comedy'?For Thomas Brokaw, a colon cancer patient in Alaska, "Movies tend to miss the realism of the day-to-day negative impact from having this disease or the impact the treatments have on the total body."
Although movies such as "My Sister's Keeper," "The Bucket List" and "A Walk to Remember" tried to focus on the effects of the disease, they still received lukewarm reviews.
The New York Times' A.O. Scott said "My Sister's Keeper" was "... too soft, too easy and it dissolves like a tear-soaked tissue." Meanwhile, USA Today critiqued "The Bucket List" as "...superficial, manipulative and schmaltzy."
The star power leading some of the plots may encourage viewers to watch, yet audience response overall is similar to the critics. "A Walk to Remember" grossed a modest box office total of $41,281,092 while the Chicago Tribune said it "...scrapes the bottom of the melodramatic barrel."
On the other hand, some cancer patients and survivors can relate to these movies and find them comforting in their own way.
"I think they drive the reality for those that were impacted," says Sandra J. Wing, founder and president of the Healing Therapies Foundation, a volunteer organization that provides financial assistance for cancer patients. "It reminds you of the importance of life -- the importance of every moment and not to waste it on things that aren't of value."
Some films help to deliver a greater appreciation of life. To many viewers, these movies provide a platform that brings a sense of comfort.
Reiser agrees saying, "Everyone's affected by cancer...but after screening the movie, people are much more open about sharing their own stories, and talking about the different ordeals they've gone through to one another."
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"50/50" starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, left, and Seth Rogen, takes a comedic spin on cancer. A rare spinal cancer strikes 27-year-old Adam and he relies on his best friend, Kyle, to have his back, literally and figuratively. The movie received acclaim from critics and USA Today gave it an "A," saying it "... draws humor out of a young man's illness, walks a tightrope of tragicomedy and touches on all the right points." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":2,"title":"\'50/50\' (2011)"}
Breast cancer hits five female characters in this Lifetime original movie directed by Jennifer Anniston, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Patty Jenkins and Penelope Spheeris. The movie's plot brings humor and drama to deliver five original stories about the effects of breast cancer and many of the shared experiences women face. The movie made its debut in October.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":3,"title":"\'Five\' (2011)"}
Sara (Cameron Diaz, left) and Brian (Jason Patric) are desperate to keep their cancer stricken daughter alive. The two decide to conceive another child with hopes that the baby will be a genetic bone marrow match. However, once born, the youngest sister sues her parents for the rights to her own body, providing a dramatic plot that pushes the boundaries of their family cohesion and moral and legal issues. The New York Times believed that it "...takes on a very tough subject...but ultimately it is too soft, too easy, and it dissolves like a tear-soaked tissue." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":4,"title":"\'My Sister\'s Keeper\' (2009)"}
Blue-collar worker Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman, right), shares a hospital room with Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson), a billionaire corporate businessman. They discover they have more in common than suffering cancer. The two escape the hospital to squeeze a lifetime of goals into their last living days, all the while creating a close bond. However, USA Today said that it was "...superficial, manipulative and schmaltzy."cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":5,"title":"\'The Bucket List\' (2007)"}
Ann (Sarah Polley) is a 24-year-old woman who learns she has cancer and only a few months left to live. "My Life Without Me," records the journey of her bucket list in a movie the New York Post called "...a strangely life-affirming work."cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":6,"title":"\'My Life Without Me\' (2003) "}
Troubled high school student Landon Carter (Shane West) is sentenced to community service and active membership in the school's drama club, where he unexpectedly falls in love with good-girl Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore). Jamie, the daughter of the town's Baptist minister, lives a more conservative lifestyle while hiding her problems with cancer. The Chicago Tribune gave it a "D," saying that it ".... scrapes the bottom of the melodramatic barrel." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":7,"title":"\'A Walk to Remember\' (2002) "}
George (Kevin Kline) loses his job in architecture and soon discovers that he has terminal cancer. George sets out to reconnect with his son Sam (Hayden Christiansen), as they spend a summer together by the sea building his dream home. The New York Times said "...nothing about it feels organic." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":8,"title":"\'Life as a House\' (2001)"}
Sara Deever (Charlize Theron) has a bubbly personality and uses her charm to attract bad-mannered and heartless men and transform them into gentlemen. Her candidate for November, Nelson Moss (Keanu Reeves), soon breaks her cycle as the two fall deeply in love. Unknown to Nelson, Sara has cancer and that's the reason she kept relationships so short. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":9,"title":"\'Sweet November\' (2001)"}
A family's dynamics change as a Harvard-grad daughter, Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellweger) is asked to return home to aid her dying mother, Kate (Meryl Streep), who is battling cancer. Time at home reminds Ellen of her mother's annoying holiday preparations and lunches. However, Ellen realizes that the moments spent with her mother may be some of her last. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":10,"title":"\'One True Thing\' (1998) "}
An astrocytoma brain tumor reverses its effect by stimulating brain cells rather than destroying them in the mind of George Malley (John Travolta). The result is a more active brain and a bizarre power of telekinesis, which attracts interest from the FBI and local officials. George becomes famous for his newfound powers and falls in love with Lace (Kyra Sedgwick). He tries to hide from authorities while still helping the community. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":11,"title":"\'Phenomenon\' (1996)"}
Ignorance leads the actions of Bob Jones (Michael Keaton) as he fails to accept his cancer diagnosis and shows little concern for his illness. He has a successful career and is immensely in love with his pregnant wife, Gail (Nicole Kidman), when an abrupt change causes Bob to realize that his time is limited. He confides to his video camera, recording his thoughts and personal moments, to leave behind a video legacy of his life. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":12,"title":"\'My Life\' (1993)"}
CC Bloom (Bette Midler) dreams of becoming a singer/actress. Her best friend, Hilary (Barbara Hershey), aspires to follow her father's footsteps in becoming a lawyer. As time goes on, the childhood friends find life taking them in separate directions. However, they soon reunite as CC returns to care for Hilary, who is suffering from cancer. Death comes soon for Hilary and CC vows to take care of her daughter as she balances her time as a Broadway star. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":13,"title":"\'Beaches\' (1988)"}
Friendship transforms into love as Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV's (Ryan O'Neal) fate crosses paths with music student Jennifer Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw). Unfortunately, Oliver's wealthy family frowns on the relationship and the two struggle to make ends meet. The situation becomes harder when Oliver discovers that Jenny has leukemia. His father denies requests for money to help with medical payments -- resulting in Jenny's death. "Love means never having to say you're sorry," says Oliver in response to his father's apology in failing to help. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":14,"title":"\'Love Story\' (1970)"}HIDE CAPTIONCancer's role in Hollywood films'50/50' (2011)'Five' (2011)'My Sister's Keeper' (2009)'The Bucket List' (2007)'My Life Without Me' (2003) 'A Walk to Remember' (2002) 'Life as a House' (2001)'Sweet November' (2001)'One True Thing' (1998) 'Phenomenon' (1996)'My Life' (1993)'Beaches' (1988)'Love Story' (1970)<<<
