SEATTLE - Fred Hutchinson researchers have found a way to significantly reduce the risk of a specific cancer - and all it takes is a daily aspirin. The surprising result of a new study was released Monday afternoon.

Jim Moell considers himself one in a million. Twenty years ago, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Even today survival rates are low. Overall it's about less than 15 percent.

But now, Fred Hutchinson researchers have come up with two new ways to better those odds. One is a diagnostic test now being developed for patients with a precancerous condition called Barrett's Esophagus.

"You can identify the very benign people and reassure them and they can go on with their lives without worrying, and you can identify the high risk people, people who have an 80 percent risk of getting cancer in a five year period," said Brian Reid, MD, PhD, lead researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

For those patients, this could make all the difference: aspirin, a finding that was completely unexpected.

"The surprising thing was that even those high risk patients if they were taking an aspirin or nsaid, their risk dropped dramatically," said Reid.

Although esophageal cancer is rare, the numbers are growing.

"There's been about a more that six-fold over a thirty year period, and that's the most rapid increase of any cancer in the United States," said Reid.

Reid says one reason is that more of us are suffering from gastric reflux. That was Moell's first symptom.

"It got pretty intense, then I got where I couldn't swallow," said Moell.

The majority of patients share chronic heartburn. Other risk factors include obesity and smoking, even when people quit long ago. Today, Moell still has to control his heartburn and watch what he eats, but says that's a small price to pay.

"I've got an additional 20 years. I think by my estimation and still counting," said Moell.

While Barret's Esophagus is more prevalent in middle-aged men, cancer rates are now increasing for women and African-Americans.