FAMILY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN ON USPSTF ASPIRIN RECOMMENDATION

On Monday, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a draft recommendation statement regarding the use of aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer: “The USPSTF recommends low-dose aspirin use for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer in adults ages 50 to 59 years” and “are willing to take low-dose aspirin daily for at least 10 years.”

When it comes to cancer prevention, will the USPSTF recommendation change what primary care doctors tell their patients? Yes and no, says Georgetown family medicine physician Ranit Mishori, MD, MHS, FACP.

“The new recommendation about aspirin and colorectal cancer is very intriguing and even exciting. While it is true that there are potential harms to long term use of aspirin (namely bleeding), it is a very simple and cheap intervention that is already widely available and known to be relatively safe. It should be noted, however, that the USPSTF states that benefits were found primarily with long term use of at least 10 years.

“While I am excited to offer this as an option to my patients, I will continue to emphasize and insist they adhere to other colorectal cancer prevention strategies such as maintaining a healthy diet—eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in red meat—exercising, not smoking, and to recommended colorectal screening protocols.

“The use of aspirin for prevention is gaining momentum in a few other types of cancer as well (prostate, melanoma and lung). It is an important, promising and exciting new avenue of research.”

Mishori is professor of family medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Cardiologist Allen Taylor, MD, professor of medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and chief of cardiology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is also available to comment on aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease.

To schedule an interview with either, please contact Karen Teber at [email protected].