Neo
#76
Interesting. What is this based on?
SNK
#77
I use flax seeds for cancer prevention, especially colon cancer.
Just finished my 5th colonoscopy. They found 2 polyps. One was the largest they’ve found to date. Fortunately neither was malignant. They’re doing a biopsy to determine if they were the pre cancerous type.
I had thought all of my supplements and improved diet (less meat and ultra processed foods) would have prevented polyps from forming, but that appears not to be the case.
I’ll need to do another one in about 3.5 years…
5 Likes
Why do they form? I’ve not had any so far (3 colonoscopies).
I wish I knew why they form. However, considering that colon cancer is increasing in incidence especially for those under 50, it should be taken seriously. My guess it has to be something in our diet such as ultra processed foods.
Last time, they found a tubular adenoma which has a 10% chance of becoming cancer. I’ve had 2 of those removed so far. I have no idea if the 2 removed today were or not. (Edit: they were.)
If you assume that every 3 years you have the chance of developing 1-3 polyps that have a 10% chance of becoming cancerous, you can see how the odds of developing cancer quickly develop into an almost certainty. So, if I hadn’t had these polyps removed, I’d have somewhere between a 20–40% chance of having colon cancer right now.
Fecal blood screening won’t help. It’ll only tell you when you develop malignant cancer. I’d rather take them out when they’re polyps and for that you need a colonoscopy.
4 Likes
LaraPo
#82
I had 2 colonoscopies so far with no polyps. I was under impression that eating meat and ultra processed foods contributes to growing polyps, but a friend of mine who regularly eats meat and all kinds of sweets and ultra processed deserts just had hers done with no polyps found to my surprise. She’s also pre-diabetic, overweight and never exercises.
2 Likes
I guess there’s a lot to it just like everything else. A healthy body can protect itself. But some people smoke everyday and live to 100. They say genetics only accounts for 10% of longevity but that is on average. For some people I’d bet it’s 100%
3 Likes
I have always had a “clean” colonoscopy. for many reasons, I have been taking aspirin for most of my life.
I know there are downsides, but I have never experienced any negative side effects.
If you can tolerate aspirin without experiencing stomach and intestinal problems it may be an option for prevention.
"Aspirin inhibits several colon cancer-related pathways and inhibits inflammation, which over time leads to cancer,”
Should you take aspirin to prevent colorectal cancer? | UCLA Health.
2 Likes
While many people are cheer leaders for Colonoscopies, I am not when it comes to its universal application. Within my circle, one person died from complications of removing a polyp, and another spent a month in a hospital bed due to perforation. This procedure has real risks associated with it.
So one should understand the cost/benefit return. A very good researcher on epidemiology of cancer screenings is Dr. Gilbert Welch, MD Skepticism about cancer screening: An Interview with Dr. H. Gilbert Welch | by Felipe Nogueira, PhD | Medium
I have a neighbor who was a pioneer of the current saturation of the colonoscopy procedure that currently exists. The procedure was previously done in a doctor’s office and most likely with minimal anesthesia. A very smart man and when I ask questions, one of the main points I walk away from is that this procedure requires a surgeons skill. (See how to choose your gastroenterologist or surgeon ) Does anyone here even know who did their procedure? Or their skill?
I will add on more thing. Another neighbor of mine, married to a doctor, died at 40 due to colon cancer. He ignored symptoms of bleeding. He might have saved his life with this procedure. Left behind a wife and small children. So tragic.
Understand risk - it is so pertinent to our safety. N=1 should always trump whether to have a cancer screening that “In colorectal cancer screening, there are complications from colonoscopy and from polypectomies (e.g. bleeding, perforations).” Dr. Gilbet Welch Don’t just have it to make yourself feel virtuous and good about your health.
8 Likes
JeffW
#86
If you are at risk for colon cancer, like it appears I am, you should have regular colonoscopies to remove polyps. If you have one and you’re all clean, your doctor should provide you with a timeline as to if/when you should check again. I hope that people here don’t have cancer or polyps so they can avoid regular colonoscopies.
For me, I need one every 3.5 years. That’s just the way it rolls. I’d rather have a polyp removed instead of finding a malignant tumor a few years later. I’d recommend everyone to have at least one to find out if they are at risk or not. Or at least talk with your doctor about it.
3 Likes
Right. Since I’ve had 3 clean colonoscopies over the last 15 years they now tell me to get one every 10 years. I’ve got other problems to make up for this one.
3 Likes
From the article you cite: “NSAIDs: Do they increase my risk of heart attack and stroke?” " Aspirin doesn’t appear to be associated with a higher risk of heart attack or stroke"
As for other NSAIDs, they do not all have equal risk.
From the literature I have read, Naproxin has the lowest risk.
1 Like
Neo
#90
Can aspirin help protect against colorectal cancers?
A new study details how a daily dose could prevent or delay the progression of the world’s third most common type of cancer.
Now a new study published in the journal Cancer shows that colorectal cancer patients who took a daily dose of aspirin had a lower rate of metastasis to the lymph nodes and stronger immune response to their tumors. The research suggests that aspirin may be boosting the ability of the immune system to hunt for cancer cells.
“It is a rather unexpected effect, because aspirin is mainly used as an anti-inflammatory drug,” says Marco Scarpa, a researcher at the University of Padova, and one of the authors of the study. As Scarpa notes, this study suggests that aspirin may be playing a slightly different role by stimulating the immune system’s surveillance response, which can then prevent or delay the progression of colorectal cancer.
In a 2020 meta-analysis, which analyzed the results of 45 observational studies, researchers found that regular aspirin use was associated with less incidence of colorectal cancer.
A low dose, between 75 and 100 milligrams, was associated with a 10 percent reduction in the risk of developing colorectal cancer; a regular dose of 325 milligrams was associated with a 35 percent decline.
Other studies have shown a link between daily aspirin and a delayed progression, including a lower risk of dying in patients who had already been diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cncr.35297
7 Likes
A few other stories on the Aspirin study for colon cancer:
6 Likes
New magic pills. We get some every 20 years or so.
1 Like
Neo
#94
@adssx have you seems more broadly across your lit review of flozins?
How much do people think this effect carries over to fully healthy people?
adssx
#95
I didn’t dig into SGLT2i and cancer much but whenever I found something interesting, I posted it here: Search results for 'cancer topic:91 @adssx order:latest' - Rapamycin Longevity News
Some studies are quite impressive indeed, but yes, mostly done in diabetic people. Would be good to do similar studies in non-diabetic people with CKD or HF (unless people with CKD or HF but without T2D have a higher risk of cancer?).
5 Likes
