Aspirin may enhance immune response against cancer spread

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have found that aspirin may help the immune system fight cancer spread. In animal studies, aspirin appears to enhance T-cells' ability to destroy cancer cells during metastasis, the process that leads to most cancer deaths. This discovery suggests that aspirin could be prescribed to cancer patients in the future, but current risks and the need for clinical trials mean patients should not self-medicate. Ongoing trials are exploring which patients might benefit from aspirin after cancer treatment. The research, published in the journal Nature, was unexpected. Scientists were initially studying immune responses to cancer when they discovered how aspirin affects T-cells and platelets. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings in humans.