The January edition of ‘Eyes on Evidence’, the free monthly e-bulletin from NHS Evidence covering major new evidence as it emerges with an explanation about what it means for current practice, includes an expert commentary on new evidence from the CAPP2 study of aspirin chemoprevention with cancer as the primary end point.

The study involved 43 centres in 16 countries and followed 861 people, who were all carriers of Lynch Syndrome, in some cases for more than 10 years. Between 1999 and 2005 participants began either taking two aspirins (600 mg) every day for at least two years (n=434) or a placebo (n=427).

The study found that that 600 mg aspirin per day for a mean of 25 months substantially reduced cancer incidence after 55.7 months in carriers of hereditary colorectal cancer. They suggest that aspirin is an effective chemopreventive agent in hereditary cancer with an effect equivalent to that achieved with surveillance colonoscopy.

According to an expert commentary: ""Thousands of people have a gene which increases their chances of developing bowel and other cancers, yet most of them do not know they have Lynch Syndrome. It is estimated that only one in 10 families carrying this gene has been identified to date. This research suggests a potential protective breakthrough for families living with this condition."