Aspirin is widely recognized for its pain-relieving, fever-reducing, and blood-thinning properties.
Now, a recent study proposes that it could potentially contribute to preventing colorectal cancer as well.
Colorectal cancer, affecting the colon (large intestine) or rectum, is the third most common type of cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.
According to the National Cancer Institute , colorectal cancer rates have been increasing among individuals under 50 in the United States since the 1990s, leading to more young people dying from the disease.
Now a new study published in the Journal Cancer shows that colorectal cancer patients who took a daily dose of aspirin had a lower rate of metastasis to the lymph nodes and stronger immune response to their tumors.
The research suggests that aspirin may be boosting the ability of the immune system to hunt for cancer cells.
Cindy Kin, a surgeon at Stanford University, who specializes in colon and rectal surgery said that your immune system is always surveilling the body for cells that just aren’t right. When they find such cancer cells, they will kill them just as they would kill invading bacteria or viruses.
People who take a consistent use of aspirin have a lower risk of colorectal cancer, “but it has to be balanced with the risks,” which includes the possibility of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, says Jeff Meyerhardt, an oncologist and co-director of the Colon and Rectal Cancer Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston.
There are several studies that suggest a link between aspirin and colorectal cancer prevention and delay.
However, the mechanism by which aspirin does this is still unknown. That makes it hard to predict which patients will benefit the most.
