According to the latest reports, it seems that aspirin is able to inhibit metastatic cancer spread. Check out more details about this below.
Aspirin and metastatic cancer spread
Aspirin has been around for a long time and is widely used due to its effectiveness in pain relief, anti-inflammatory, and anticoagulant properties.
Recent research indicates that cancer patients who take low-dose aspirin daily have a 21 percent reduction in mortality.
It is also worth noting the fact that there’s evidence suggesting aspirin’s role in preventing cancer metastasis, making it a significant medication for cancer patients.
Cancer is one of the primary causes of mortality worldwide. In 2020 alone, there were approximately 19.3 million new cancer cases globally, resulting in nearly 10 million deaths.
Cancer accounts for one in every six reported deaths. Breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, and stomach are the most prevalent types of cancer.
In November 2023, researchers from Cardiff University in the United Kingdom published a comprehensive review in the British Journal of Cancer (BJC) discussing the potential benefits of aspirin in reducing cancer mortality, preventing metastatic cancer spread, and minimizing vascular complications.
The review analyzed evidence both in favor and against the use of aspirin in cancer treatment.
The study looked at results from 118 observational studies involving around 1 million cancer patients. It found that taking a low-dose aspirin (75 or 81 milligrams) daily was linked with a 21% reduction in all-cause mortality.
A recent study on pancreatic cancer patients who underwent surgery revealed that those who took aspirin had a three-year survival rate of 61.1 percent, while those who did not take it had a survival rate of only 26.3 percent.
Aspirin works primarily by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme, which is responsible for forming prostaglandins – a critical pathway in cancer signaling. However, it has been found that aspirin’s anti-cancer effects go beyond this mechanism.
Recent research has shown that aspirin also works by affecting energy metabolism associated with cancer cell proliferation, cancer-related inflammation, and platelet-driven pro-carcinogenic activity.
The spread of cancer, known as metastasis, is a leading cause of death in cancer patients.
Platelets play a significant role in this process, but aspirin can inhibit their aggregation, reducing the spread of cancer cells.
A comprehensive review published in the British Journal of Cancer found that aspirin can lower the risk of cancer metastasis by 38 to 52 percent.
Aspirin also helps promote DNA repair. Errors can occur during DNA replication, but the human body has a mechanism to repair them called DNA mismatch repair.
When this function is compromised, it can lead to cancer. Research has shown that aspirin can enhance DNA repair mechanisms, potentially preventing hereditary non-polyposis (Lynch syndrome), colorectal cancer, and other cancers.
