Fortunately this is an area of active investigation and there is a growing list of medicines, supplements and behavioral changes which can be effective. The first group of medicines includes aspirin and other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory). NSAIDs are a large group of medicines primarily marketed to treat arthritis such as ibuprofen and Celebrex to name two. A variety of cancers may be prevented by long term use of this family of drugs primarily by their ability to block a specific pathway of inflammation called cox-2. Aspirin at doses of 81-325mg daily over a period of 3-5 years has been shown in large populations of people to decrease the risk of developing cancers of the colon, rectum, breast, lung, prostate, esophagus and stomach. For gastrointestinal cancers the risk of cancer occurrence can be cut in half by regular use of these medications. Even more impressive to me is the demonstration that patients who have already undergone surgical resection for colon cancer can further cut their risk of cancer recurrence by regular use of aspirin of other NSAID’s. This study included patients with stage III colon cancer who received chemotherapy to decrease the risk of cancer recurrence. In those that also took aspirin or another NSAID regularly for greater than 3 years a further reduction in the development of cancer recurrence by 50% was realized. Additional studies are ongoing to verify this benefit. Statins are a class of drugs used primarily to lower blood cholesterol levels. Many people are taking these drugs daily of years to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Studies have shown a surprising additional benefit from these medicines in the reduction of the development of cancers of the breast, colon and rectum. We all know that smoking tobacco is a major cause of lung cancer. You may not know that it is also a major risk for head and neck cancer (cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box and surrounding structures) as well as esophagus, stomach and pancreatic cancers. Patients who have been cured of one of these cancers remain at high risk of developing another tobacco smoke related cancer. Smoking cessation in this group can cut the risk on a new cancer developing dramatically. In patients treated for head and neck cancers, stopping smoking has resulted in an improved cure rate compared to those who continue to smoke. Smoking cessation benefits all but the tobacco companies. Aspirin, NSAIDs, and statin drugs all have potential adverse side effects. Before starting one of these agents make sure you consult with your doctor or other health care provider. An Ounce of Prevention, by Robert McCroskey, MD, published in Climbing R.O.P.S., Oct. 2005, p. 2.