What Is The Medical Term For The “Pins And Needles” Sensation?

A Simple Pill Could Slash Colon Cancer Risk

A new study suggests that daily low-dose aspirin may help prevent cancer recurrence in about a third of colon cancer patients. Researchers found that taking 160 milligrams of aspirin daily reduced the risk of cancer returning by 50% in patients with mutations in their PI3K genes, a mutation found in approximately 30% of colon cancers. These mutations can make cancer more aggressive and difficult to treat. The findings, presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco, could have immediate implications for treating these patients.

Lead researcher Dr. Anna Martling, a professor at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, explained that aspirin could significantly reduce recurrence rates and improve disease-free survival for a large portion of colon cancer patients with these mutations. The study involved over 600 patients from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway, all of whom had moderate to advanced colon or rectal cancer. The participants were randomly assigned to take either daily aspirin or a placebo for three years.

The results showed that patients with PI3K gene mutations who took daily aspirin had a 51% lower risk of cancer recurrence compared to those who took a placebo, with recurrence rates at 7.7% for aspirin users versus 14.1% for placebo users. Patients with other PI3K mutations also saw a 58% lower risk of recurrence, with rates of 7.7% for aspirin users and 16.8% for those taking the placebo. Overall, aspirin reduced the risk of recurrence by 55% for all participants.

While the study found rare side effects related to aspirin use, including one case of severe gastrointestinal bleeding, one case of brain bleeding, and one allergic reaction, the findings support aspirin as a viable option for reducing cancer recurrence. Dr. Pamela Kunz, a GI oncologist at Yale School of Medicine, praised the simple intervention and its potential to significantly impact patients with PI3K genetic changes, which are found in about one-third of colorectal cancer cases.

These findings, presented at the conference from January 23-25, are still preliminary and need to be published in a peer-reviewed journal before being considered definitive. However, they offer promising new insight into managing colon cancer treatment.