Other people’s stories
- These stories are provided by people with Lynch syndrome.
- The stories may be helpful as you make this decision yourself.
- It is important to remember that people’s individual views and experiences will be different.
When I was diagnosed with Lynch syndrome
I was 45 years old when I found out I have Lynch Syndrome MSH6 variant, due to several close members of my family having bowel and womb cancer. My mum was diagnosed with Lynch syndrome, I was tested and unfortunately I have it too. It’s something that takes a while to get your head around, potentially a life altering bit of news that has to be absorbed and considered.
My genetic counsellor told me about aspirin
I was very lucky to have a great genetic counsellor who mentioned it was advised to take aspirin every day as it has been proved to lower your chance of getting bowel cancer. I spent a while looking for a scientific reason why aspirin may help in the prevention of bowel cancer, but as far as I can tell from hours of research there’s not one! So, this was a decision I needed to take based on my trust of the medical advice. It was my choice and mine alone to make.
How I decided to take it
For me it didn’t take a lot of thinking about to decide I was prepared to take aspirin every day in the hope it would stop me getting bowel cancer. I have always been a ‘doctor knows best’ person so for me it was easy, but everyone is different.
Like with all medication, there are some possible side effects. I weighed up the pros and cons, by researching some of the side effects and making myself very aware of them. Now if I do get any problems, I can think again.
Getting prescribed with aspirin from my GP
I found that my GP was not aware of Lynch syndrome or that aspirin can help prevent bowel cancer. My genetics team helped me decide the best dose for me, and I also spoke to a pharmacist who helped me with the different types of aspirin: I take enteric coated aspirin which is easier on the stomach than others.
Finding out about aspirin from a support group
I saw about taking aspirin when I joined the Lynch Syndrome UK group online, and was surprised as no-one had mentioned it to me when I was diagnosed with Lynch.
My GP said it wasn’t right for me
I made an appointment to see my GP about it, but they looked at my age and my overall health and said it wasn’t right for me. I was a bit disappointed as I think it would have reassured me to take aspirin.
I still wasn’t sure so checked with my GP and pharmacist later on
About six months later I saw another discussion about aspirin and cancer online and this made me worry about whether I should be taking it. I made an appointment to see my GP again and also spoke with a pharmacist, just to check. This was really helpful because we agreed that taking aspirin wasn’t right for me. She explained why the chance of side effects goes up with age, and how aspirin may not be great for people with asthma.
My GP told me about other things I can do
She also suggested I speak to my GP about how I might change my diet a bit to lower my chance of bowel cancer, which has been helpful. I guess no medicine is right for everyone, and it was good to know I had checked it out.
