Lowering your risk of Colorectal Cancer by taking commonly prescribed medications. Is it possible?
Lowering your risk of Colorectal Cancer by taking commonly prescribed medications. Is it possible?
By Allison Lindstrom, NP
Colorectal cancer (CRC) still remains one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. This can be largely attributed to our aging population, however, we are also seeing increased rates in younger populations. Taking preventative measures to decrease one’s risk for CRC is critical and investigation into chemoprevention has been a hot topic for decades. Chemoprevention is the “use of medications to prevent pathogenic pathways of disease”(Zhang et al, 2021). Low dose aspirin (81mg) has been recommended for decades in adults aged 50-69 years as it is anti-inflammatory in nature, thus preventing inflammation-associated tumor growth in CRC.
However, not all CRC genesis is expressed in the pathway that this medication is used to block. For that reason, the search for alternative chemoprevention ensued. A commonly prescribed medication used to treat depression – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs – was also found to have anti-inflammatory action against CRC. A case control study based on data from Sweden explored whether the use of aspirin and SSRIs – either as monotherapy or combined – would aid in CRC prevention. It found that while monotherapy with either SSRI or aspirin was associated with decreased CRC risk, the combined use of SSRI and aspirin had an even lower CRC risk. Based on the information above, the combination use of SSRIs and aspirin to enhance CRC prevention as opposed to monotherapy with aspirin or SSRI could be recommended in the future, however, a call for randomized studies is indicated to confirm its’ efficacy.
While lowering ones colon cancer risk with primary prevention is preferred, the best secondary prevention of colon cancer is colon cancer screening – either by way of colonoscopy or Cologuard. If you or a loved one are at the age of 45 or older, please call our clinic at 224.407.4400 to schedule an appointment with a provider to discuss a prevention technique. Visit compgihealth.com to learn more!
Zhang, N., Sundquist, J., Sundquist, K., Zhang, Z.-G., & Ji, J. (2021). Combined Use of Aspirin and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors is Associated With Lower Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Nested Case-Control Study. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 116(6), 1107–1363.