Drug can prevent spread of stem cells

Small doses of the painkiller aspirin may prevent the growth and spread of resistant stem cells that drive breast cancer, according to new research. Lead scientist Professor Sushanta Banerjee, from the University of Kansas in the US, claims the drug's ability to target a number of different metabolic pathways is what makes it potentially useful as a cancer treatment. "Cancer is not a single-gene disease," he said. "Multiple genes are involved."But the researchers also warned that excessive use of aspirin can have unwanted effects such as gastro-intestinal bleeding and ulcers. US Scientists made the discovery after conducting laboratory tests and tests on mice, which showed that aspirin directly and indirectly suppresses the proliferation of two different breast cancer strains, including the so-called “triple negative” cancer which is immune to most treatments. The research, which was presented on Sunday to the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, also found that aspirin increased the effect of tamoxifen, a widely used treatment for the more common form of breast cancer. But breast cancer campaigners warn that the research is still in its early stages and the findings should be treated with caution until it can be tested on patients.