Aspirin: Regular Medication Regimen May Decrease Risk Of Asbestos-Related Cancer

Could over-the-counter aspirin inhibit the aggressive growth of deadly asbestos-related cancer?

New findings published in the journal Cell Death and Disease reveal that a regular aspirin regimen could help slow the growth of mesothelioma by blocking the effects of the inflammatory molecule, High-Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1), which is believed to directly promote the growth of the disease.

During the study, researchers theorized that people at high risk of developing mesothelioma could take aspirin in the hopes of preventing or delaying cancer growth; these individuals included people occupationally exposed to asbestos who typically lived in areas that were high in naturally occurring asbestos-like fibers.

"HMGB1 is an inflammatory molecule that plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of malignant mesothelioma, an aggressive and oftentimes deadly cancer that can result from asbestos. Inhibiting HMGB1 dramatically reduced malignant mesothelioma growth in mice and significantly improved survival of treated animals," researcher Dr. Haining Yang, said in a news release.

Researchers are hopeful that use of this nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is absorbed by the stomach and upper intestine may be helpful in both preventing and delaying cancer growth.

As it stands, mesothelioma currently claims the lives of close to 3,200 people every year in the United States. Researchers also noted that they hope in time, figuring out precisely how aspirin blocks HMGB1 will help them be able to develop a way to fight the disease. 

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