5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) promotes cancer cell proliferation and survival by unclear mechanisms. Here, we show that 5-LO expression and activity were induced by genotoxic agents in a p53-independent manner and antagonized p53- or genotoxic drug-induced apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells. 5-LO inhibited p53-governed transactivation of the pro-apoptotic genes bax and pig3 but not of p21(WAF1/CIP1) or mdm2. This may be explained by 5-LO capability to inhibit the binding of p53 to promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) and p53 subnuclear relocalization into PML-nuclear bodies in response to genotoxic stress. Interestingly, 5-LO activity appears to be involved in nuclear retention and inactivation of wild-type p53 in malignant mesothelioma cells. In these cells, genetic or pharmacological inhibition of 5-LO enabled suppression of in vitro tumorigenicity by low doses of chemotherapeutic drugs. Together, these results uncover novel functions of 5-LO and contribute to the understanding of 5-LO involvement in tumor progression. Moreover, they provide a rationale to the therapeutic use of 5-LO inhibitors to enhance cancer chemosensitivity in selected tumors.