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Evidence suggests that regular aspirin use lowers the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) — a primary preventive effect. However, whether aspirin use affects cancer-specific outcomes after CRC is diagnosed (i.e., secondary prevention) is less clear. Researchers in Norway took advantage of comprehensive national data to perform this population-based observational study of secondary prevention with aspirin.
Among 23,162 patients who received CRC diagnoses between 2004 and 2011, 26% took aspirin (75–160 mg daily) regularly after their CRC diagnoses — presumably for cardiovascular, not cancer, prevention. During median follow-up of 3 years, overall and CRC-specific mortality was 34% and 19%, respectively, in the aspirin-exposed group, and 42% a…