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Researchers have uncovered how aspirin may reduce the spread of certain cancers by boosting the immune system. The study, published in Nature, could help doctors find better ways to prevent cancer from spreading (metastasis) and develop more effective treatments.
However, scientists warn that aspirin can have serious side effects, including stomach ulcers and bleeding, so people should talk to their doctor before taking it for cancer prevention.
Aspirin and Cancer: A Surprising Discovery
Doctors have long noticed that people who take daily low-dose aspirin seem to have a lower risk of cancer spread, especially in breast, bowel, and prostate cancers. But until now, researchers didn’t fully understand how aspirin works in this way.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge were studying how cancer spreads because 90% of cancer deaths occur when it moves to other parts of the body. They wanted to see how the immune system responds during this process, since cancer cells that break away from a tumor are more vulnerable to immune attack than those in the original tumor.
The Key Discovery: A Link to Blood Clotting
In earlier studies, researchers screened 810 genes in mice and found 15 genes that influenced cancer spread. One gene stood out: ARHGEF1, which reduces the immune system’s ability to fight cancer by suppressing T cells (the body’s natural cancer-fighting cells).
The scientists traced how ARHGEF1 is activated and made a surprising discovery—it is switched on by a clotting factor called thromboxane A2 (TXA2).
This was a breakthrough because TXA2 is the same substance that aspirin blocks to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
How Aspirin Stops Cancer from Spreading
TXA2 is produced by platelets, the blood cells that help with clotting.
Aspirin reduces TXA2, which prevents T cells from being suppressed.
With T cells active, the immune system can better attack cancer cells before they spread.
To test this, scientists studied mice with melanoma and found that those given aspirin had fewer metastases than mice not given the drug. The effect only worked when TXA2 was blocked, allowing T cells to stay active.
Why This Matters
Cancer treatments have advanced, but many patients still face relapse due to hidden cancer cells that remain after surgery. The researchers believe that aspirin or similar drugs could be used during this early phase to stop cancer from returning.
Professor Rahul Roychoudhuri, who led the study, explained:
“When cancer first spreads, there’s a unique window when the cells are most vulnerable to immune attack. Targeting this window could prevent cancer from coming back.”
What’s Next?
The team is now working with researchers from University College London’s Add-Aspirin clinical trial to test whether aspirin can delay or stop early-stage cancers from coming back.
Professor Ruth Langley, who leads the trial, said:
“This discovery helps us understand how aspirin works against cancer and which patients might benefit the most.”
Important Reminder
While aspirin shows promise, it can cause side effects, including bleeding and stomach ulcers. That’s why it’s important to talk to a doctor before using aspirin for cancer prevention.
If future clinical trials confirm these findings, aspirin or similar drugs could become an affordable and widely available way to prevent cancer from spreading, offering hope for millions of patients worldwide.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about vitamin D and bowel cancer, and a cautionary note about peanuts and cancer.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the link between ultra-processed foods and cancer, and everyday foods to ward off pancreatic cancer.
The research findings can be found in Nature.
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