Aspirin in the fight against cancer: new hope for metastases!

Aspirin in the fight against cancer: new hope for metastases!

In Germany, cancer is one of the most common causes of death. According to the Federal Statistical Office, cancer led to every twelfth hospital stay. Recent research at the University of Cambridge has now shown that aspirin could possibly be helpful in combating metastases. Metastases are the result of the spread of tumor cells in other organs and are responsible for about 90 percent of cancer deaths.

The relevance of these findings is enormous. Stress was identified as a factor that can increase metastasis formation. In animal testing it was found that Aspirin reduces the metastasis rate for mice, especially for chest, skin and colon cancer. The mechanism of action of aspirin seems to be that it inhibits the formation of the hormone TXA2, which protects tumor cells from the immune system. Professor Edgar Dahl from the University Hospital RWTH Aachen considers this mechanism to be plausible and supports the research results.

The role of aspirin

The study results indicate that aspirin can be sufficient to reduce metastasis formation. However, the researchers emphasize that further investigations are necessary to evaluate the risks of long -term intake. Cornelia Ulrich, head of the Comprehensive Cancer Center in the USA, emphasizes that it is important to identify the most effective cancer and patient groups that could benefit from the use of aspirin.

The potential of aspirin could also be promising in combination with immunotherapies after tumor removal. Previous studies have already pointed out that taking aspirin could reduce the risk of colon cancer. Nevertheless, it is advisable to not take aspirin without medical consultation to avoid unwanted side effects.

research background

The animal experiments in which the effectiveness of aspirin was examined were carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the UK Home Office and were approved by the University of Cambridge Animal Welfare and Ethics Review board. The mice used included several genetic models, including Wildtype C57BL/6 and various knockout trunks. The researchers injected tumor cells in the mice to study metastasis behavior and make the tumor load measurable.

The collection and evaluation of data on cancer in Germany takes place by the Center for Cancer Register Data (ZFKD) in the Robert Koch Institute. Users can carry out their own database queries to frequency and forecast of various cancer. Every two years a report on cancer in Germany is published, which shows how extensive the topic of cancer is and what progress is made in research.

Overall, research on Aspirin is a promising approach in the fight against cancer metastases, but it should be noted that there are still many questions open. The results of these current studies could have a decisive influence on the treatment of cancer patients in the future. Further examinations could be possible to develop more precise treatment strategies.