Simple every day aspirin has long been called a wonder drug, and the wonders of aspirin cease to amaze. The ability of aspirin to effectively fight cancer is a known, according to researchers. In What aspirin reveals about cancer, we posted "Aspirin may reduce the risks from a number of cancers. Why? Medical researchers from different fields of study are coming together on a common thread of evidence suggesting that inflammation in the body may be at the core of many diseases, including cancer."

When we brought you that information, researchers knew the anti-cancer effect of aspirin was tied in to aspirin being an anti-inflammatory but beyond that, the mechanism behind how aspirin worked against cancer was an unknown.

Recently, University of Newcastle scientists have made a new discovery of how aspirin fights cancer. Aspirin appears to cut off the blood supply to a developing cancer tumor. Without a needed blood supply, the tumor has difficulty continuing to grow. High doses of aspirin were used in the study, and high doses of aspirin are not recommended, as the side effects of stomach bleeding can occur. According to the researchers, the normal dose of aspirin did not affect cancer cells, but seemed to disrupt the surrounding proteins that provide a support structure for blood vessels.

While it is not take two aspirin and call me in the morning, the study does show promise in the possibility of new cancer treatments.

This study is published in the October 2006 issue of The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal.