Hereditary bowel cancer: mesalazine attenuates tumour formation by 50%

Vienna: Around 5,000 Austrians a year develop a colorectal carcinoma, that is to say cancer of the colon or rectum. Around 5% of these are genetically predisposed and develop Lynch syndrome, the commonest genetic form of bowel cancer, equating to approx. 250 cases a year. An international team of researchers, including scientists from MedUni Vienna's Department of Surgery and Department of Medicine III, have now discovered that Lynch syndrome patients who are given the anti-inflammatory drug mesalazine develop tumours less frequently and the number of tumours that develop (neoplasia) is significantly reduced.

Risk of bowel cancer reduced by taking aspirin for Lynch syndrome patients

Melbourne: An international study led by The University of Melbourne has confirmed that long-term regular taking of aspirin or ibuprofen reduces the risk of bowel cancer by more than half for people with the genetic mutation causing Lynch syndrome. At least 1 in 1000 people in the population have the genetic mutation that causes Lynch syndrome. These people have a much higher rate of bowel cancer than the general population and about half would develop the disease without regular screening.

High risk of bowel cancer for gene carriers

Melbourne University. Australia: Researchers from the University of Melbourne have found that screening for bowel cancer in genetically high-risk populations should begin early. The team led by Professor Mark Jenkins, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health found that people with a mutation that results in a condition called Lynch Syndrome have a five year risk of bowel cancer up to hundreds of times greater than the average risk.