Guidelines advising low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of colorectal cancer have failed to achieve cut-through with clinicians, a study suggests.

Despite being developed by the Cancer Council Australia and endorsed by the RACGP and NHMRC, the guidelines have left doctors confused and wary — and some do not even know they exist.

The advice, developed in 2017, calls for all adults aged 50-70 to take 100-300mg of aspirin daily for at least 2.5 years because the intervention could reduce colorectal cancer mortality by 33%.

But the wide dose range, controversy over aspirin for primary prevention of CVD and failure to promote the guidelines have led to low uptake, the study suggests.