Common pain medication could reduce cancer spread, study finds

Taking a common over-the-counter pain reliever could help keep certain cancers from spreading.

That’s according to a new study from the University of Cambridge, which found that aspirin could reduce cancer metastatis (spread) by stimulating participants’ immune systems. 

The findings were published in the journal Nature on March 5.

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In mouse models, scientists discovered that a certain protein called ARHGEF1 suppresses T-cells, which are immune cells that can pinpoint and attack individual cancer cells that break away from original tumors, according to a press release.

ARHGEF1 was "switched on" when T cells were exposed to thromboxane A2 (TXA2), a chemical produced by platelets that helps with blood clotting. 

Too much of TXA2 can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

That’s where aspirin comes in — it is already known to stop the production of TXA2 and prevent clotting, which is why it may be recommended to prevent cardiac events in some people.

"Aspirin, or other drugs that could target this pathway, have the potential to be less expensive than antibody-based therapies."

"This new research found that aspirin prevents cancers from spreading by decreasing TXA2 and releasing T cells from suppression," the press release stated. 

In mice with melanoma, the ones that were given aspirin had less frequent metastases of the cancer compared to those who were not given the medication.

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"It was a ‘eureka’ moment when we found TXA2 was the molecular signal that activates this suppressive effect on T cells," said first author Dr. Jie Yang from the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge in the release.

"Before this, we had not been aware of the implication of our findings in understanding the anti-metastatic activity of aspirin," he went on.

"Aspirin, or other drugs that could target this pathway, have the potential to be less expensive than antibody-based therapies, and therefore more accessible globally."

Previous studies have suggested that daily aspirin treatment is associated with reduced cancer spread in humans with the disease and with reduced cancer mortality in patients without metastasis, noted senior researcher Dr. Rahul Roychoudhuri, professor of cancer immunology at the University of Cambridge.

In one randomized controlled trial, taking 600 milligrams of aspirin daily for an average of 25 months substantially reduced cancer incidence in carriers of hereditary colorectal cancer.

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Pashtoon Kasi, M.D., medical director of gastrointestinal medical oncology at City of Hope Orange County in California, reiterated that previous research has linked aspirin use with a reduced risk of cancer, particularly gastrointestinal tract cancers.  

"It has been identified in numerous studies with mixed results on reducing the risk of recurrence and/or improving outcomes in patients with metastatic cancer," Kasi, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.

"This new study further demonstrates how aspirin and other inhibitors of this pathway could be used in new treatments to prevent the cancer from metastasizing or spreading."

Potential risks

Roychoudhuri, the senior researcher, encouraged caution in applying the findings.

While aspirin is low-cost and widely available, its long-term use is not without "significant risks," he said, including stomach bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke, particularly in older individuals. 

"This is why we emphasize that patients should not start taking aspirin for cancer prevention without specific medical advice from their doctor," he said in a statement to Fox News Digital.   

"The risk-benefit calculation varies substantially between individuals based on age, comorbidities and concurrent medications," the doctor noted. 

"Patients interested in aspirin therapy should discuss it with their oncologist or family practitioner, who can evaluate the potential benefits against the risks."

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Kasi pointed out the study’s potential limitations, primarily that the research was conducted on mice models rather than humans. 

"The study also did not take into account complications that some people who use aspirin regularly experience, such as bleeding or interactions with other medications," he noted. 

"However, it builds upon the growing body of evidence … and provides mechanistic insights into how this effect might occur from an immune perspective."

Kasi agreed that patients should talk to their doctor to discuss the benefits and health risks associated with regular aspirin use. 

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"In some cases, low-dose aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs are already being considered in clinical use, as well as in additional trials – for example, for individuals born with Lynch syndrome who have a higher predisposition to developing colorectal, endometrial and other cancers," he noted.

Next steps

The scientists are planning to conduct more research — through the Add-Aspirin clinical trial, which will recruit more than 10,000 patients with early-stage breast, colorectal, gastroesophageal and prostate cancers across the U.K. and India — to determine whether aspirin can stop or delay the recurrence of these cancers.

"Patients interested in aspirin therapy should discuss it with their oncologist or family practitioner, who can evaluate the potential benefits against the risks."

"Our research suggests aspirin could potentially be most beneficial for patients with early-stage cancers who have been treated with curative intent but might harbor undetected micrometastases," Roychoudhuri said.  

"However, further clinical validation is needed before specific recommendations can be made."

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The research received funding from the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the European Research Council. 

The Add-Aspirin clinical trial is funded by Cancer Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Medical Research Council and the Tata Memorial Foundation of India.