Aspirin to prevent liver disease? This may not be an association that is typically made, but a new study has found evidence that daily aspirin therapy may help reduce the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

The notion of aspirin therapy is not new in cancer research. Previous studies have demonstrated that aspirin can reduce cancer risk, particularly for colorectal cancer. However, clinical evidence supporting the chemo-preventive effect of aspirin therapy on hepatocellular carcinoma remains limited.

This new cohort study was conducted in Taiwan and included 10, 615 patients with chronic hepatitis B. All patient data was obtained from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) and collected from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2012. Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, other viral hepatitis, HIV infection, and alcoholic liver disease were excluded. Those who received daily aspirin therapy for 90 or more days were identified as the aspirin-treated cohort, and patients who never received antiplatelet therapy were assigned to the untreated cohort.

The researchers found a statistically significant 29% risk reduction of hepatocellular carcinoma in 2,123 patients who received daily aspirin compared with the matched controls of 8,492 patients. As such, their daily aspirin intake may improve the chemo-prevention of hepatitis B virus–related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of primary liver cancer, often occurs in people with chronic liver diseases, such as cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection. It’s different from “secondary” liver cancers that have spread to the liver from other organs. If diagnosed in its early stages, hepatocellular carcinoma can be cured via surgery or transplant. Notably, hepatocellular carcinoma is the second leading cause of cancer deaths, worldwide. As such, developing cost-effective preventive therapies is needed.

Aspirin works by fighting inflammation. Taking a low dose of aspirin helps prevent blood clots, reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack. On its role in cancer prevention, a study has shown that daily intake of low-dose aspirin could reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and rectal cancer by as much as 50%. A different study on recovering breast cancer patients found that those who had daily aspirin therapy for three to five years were 60% less likely to suffer from cancer recurrence.

But what about the risk of aspirin-induced bleeding? This well-known consequence of long-term aspirin intake should be carefully considered before administering aspirin therapy. People with cirrhosis who will opt for aspirin therapy should be monitored carefully because cirrhosis makes it more difficult to stop any internal bleeding.

To learn more about this study, click here

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