A Well-Known Drug Will Help in the Fight Against Cancer
A team of researchers from Cardiff University in Britain has established that small doses of aspirin are not only beneficial for preventive purposes for people with cardiovascular diseases and stroke but may also play a certain role in the therapy of some types of oncology. The results of their research were published in the latest issue of the medical journal PLOS Medicine.
It has previously been proven that the use of aspirin, which is one of the most common pain relievers, antipyretics, and anti-inflammatory agents, in small doses can help prevent the development of malignant tumours. Now, scientists have discovered that it can also assist in the treatment of certain types of malignant tumours when used as an adjunctive method. The research team, led by Professor Peter Elwood, found that aspirin has the ability to enhance the effectiveness of antitumour drugs while simultaneously reducing the activity of pathologically altered cells.
The study was a systematic review, or meta-analysis, of over 70 previously conducted studies. The researchers analyzed the survival rates of 120,000 cancer patients who regularly received low doses of aspirin and compared them with data from 400,000 patients who did not take it. They found that among those subjects whose treatment included the use of the pain reliever, survival rates were 20–30% higher compared to those who did not take aspirin. Furthermore, as the researchers found, the former had a lower risk of developing metastases than the latter.
Many of the studies included in the meta-analysis by the British researchers focused on colorectal cancer. One of them established that a man or woman aged 65, who does not suffer from diabetes and regularly takes small doses of aspirin, will have similar results in cancer treatment and survival rates as a person 4–5 years younger who does not take it.
Clearly, aspirin plays an important therapeutic role in the treatment of people with colorectal tumours, considering that most of the analyzed studies were dedicated to this type of oncology. The researchers also analyzed data from patients with prostate and breast cancer.
“Oncological patients should be provided with the information available today and helped to form their opinion on the risks and benefits of daily intake of a small dose of aspirin,” says the lead author of the study. “It is urgently necessary to continue studying this topic and strongly recommend that patients participate in relevant studies. However, before starting to take a new drug, such patients must consult their treating physician.”
As noted by one of the project authors, Irish doctor Gregory Leonard, oncology studies usually investigate the latest anticancer methods, which tend to be quite expensive. “Our study demonstrates that inexpensive, off-patent medications can indeed be used as an alternative to expensive drugs that slow the progression of cancer or stop its growth,” says the doctor. “The results of this study could have a huge impact on the global cost of antitumour therapy, which is especially important given the rising cancer incidence in low-income countries.”
Currently, scientists are planning a new study called Add-Aspirin, in which they intend to investigate the effectiveness of aspirin in treating other types of oncology. About 11,000 patients from the UK, Ireland, and India with early-stage breast, stomach, esophageal, and prostate cancer will participate. For five years, each of them will take aspirin daily, after which they will be monitored for several more years to see the drug's impact on the same indicators and to check whether such frequent use of the medication has any side effects on health.