Aspirin is being tested as part of a possible treatment for an aggressive form of breast cancer. Researchers hope the cheap and widely available drug may work well when combined with immunotherapy for patients with triple-negative breast cancer.
The test, funded by the Breast Cancer Now Catalyst program, which aims to accelerate research advancement through innovation and collaboration, is the first clinical study to test whether aspirin can make tumors more susceptible to immunotherapy in these patients.
The research, led by dr. Anne Armstrong from the Christie NHS Foundation in Manchester, will test the drug avelumab with and without aspirin before patients receive surgery and chemotherapy treatment.
Breast Cancer Now, said successful results could lead to further clinical trials of aspirin and avelumab for incurable secondary breast cancer, which occurs when breast cancer-starting cancer cells spread to other parts of the body.
This is a less common but more aggressive type of breast cancer. Armstrong, a medical consultant and lecturer oncologist, said:
"Our previous research has suggested that aspirin can make some types of immunotherapy more effective by preventing cancer from producing substances that weaken the immune response.
The test of using a drug like aspirin is exciting because it is very available and cheap to produce.
"Hopefully our evidence will show that, when combined with immunotherapy, aspirin can enhance its effects and can eventually provide a new and safer way to treat breast cancer."
Research has already suggested that aspirin may improve outcomes for many cancer patients.
Source: Guardian
