Aspirin lowers colon cancer risk, but not for all

Taking aspirin or ibuprofen tends to reduce the risk of getting colon cancer for most people, but it does not work in a minority of people with certain genes, researchers said Tuesday.

The findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) are based on an analysis of 10 large studies in Australia, Canada, Germany and the United States. More than 16,000 people -- all of European descent -- were included.

The data confirmed that regular use of aspirin or non-steroid anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) was linked to a 30 percent lower colorectal cancer risk, for most people.

But the preventive benefit was not seen in people with relatively uncommon variants in genes on chromosomes 12 and 15, the study said.

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