Acetylsalicylic Acid and Eflornithine in Treating Patients at High Risk for Colorectal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Current or prior advanced adenomas
* Advanced adenomas are defined as subject with polyps \>= 1 cm, tubulovillous adenomas (25-75 percent villous features), villous adenomas (\> 75 percent villous), or high-grade dysplasia
* Prior colon cancer (\>= 3 years out from invasive cancer)
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0 or 1
* Ability to under and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
* Willingness to provide mandatory tissue for research purposes
* Negative pregnancy test =\< 7 days prior to randomization
* Hemoglobin (Hgb) within normal limits for institution/lab
* Platelet count \>= 100,000/ul
* White blood cell count (WBC) \>= 3,000/ul
* Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =\< 2 x institutional upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) =\< 2 x institutional ULN
* Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x institutional ULN
* Serum calcium =\< institutional ULN
* Serum creatinine =\< 1.5 x institutional ULN
* Colonoscopy =\< 45 days prior to randomization with removal of all adenomas or polyps \>= 2 mm in size

Exclusion Criteria:

* Any history of current or prior rectal cancer
* Known diagnosis of colon heritable cancer syndrome (familial adenomatous polyposis \[FAP\], hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer \[HNPCC\]) or inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis)
* Inability to swallow pills
* Bleeding diathesis
* New diagnosis of carcinoma
* History of hypersensitivity to COX-2 inhibitors, sulfonamides, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), salicylates, or ursodeoxycholic acid
* History of gastroduodenal ulcers documented =\< 1 year
* Known inability to participate in the scheduled follow-up tests
* Significant medical or psychiatric problems which would make the subject a poor protocol candidate, in the opinion of the treating physician
* Total colectomy
* Patients with a colostomy
* History of pelvic or rectal radiation therapy
* History of invasive carcinoma =\< 5 years (except subjects with Dukes A/B1 carcinoma =\< 5 years prior to pre-registration or any stage of colon cancer if \>= 3 years post surgical resection)
* Acute liver disease, unexplained transaminase elevations, or elevated serum calcium
* History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical composition to the study agents
* Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia
* Concomitant corticosteroids or anticoagulants needed on a regular or predictable intermittent basis
* New diagnosis of invasive carcinoma
* Use of non-study investigational agent(s) =\< 3 months prior to randomization
* Chemotherapy =\< 6 months prior to randomization (Note: topical chemotherapy will be assessed on a case-by-case basis)
* Pregnant women
* Nursing women
* Men or women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to employ adequate contraception
* Regular use of NSAIDs =\< 6 weeks prior to randomization, defined as a frequency of 7 consecutive days (1 week) for \> 3 weeks (Exception: low dose aspirin \[81 mg\] for those subjects who are chronic users of aspirin prior to the beginning of the study)