Aspirin may help the body fight cancer

ASPIRIN could help cancer patients fight the disease by stopping tumours hiding from their immune system.

The drug thins the blood, clearing out blood-clotting cells which have now been found to give tumours an ‘invisibility cloak’.

With these gone, the immune system recognises the cancer and swings into action to attack it.

Researchers at the Medical university of South Carolina found aspirin and another clot-preventing drug, clopidogrel, helped mice with cancer survive longer and relapse less often. They are now seeking permission to start clinical trials in humans.

Lead scientist Dr Zihai Li said: ‘I’m very excited about this. We can test simple, over-the-counter anti-platelet agents to really improve immunity and make a difference in how to treat people with cancer.’

The study, published in the journal Science Immunity, shed new light on the role of platelets in cancer. These tiny cells, which cause the blood to clot, were taken from humans and found to suppress cancer-fighting Tcells, a key part of the immune system. It could explain why cancer patients who are suffering from excessive blood clotting almost always have a worse prognosis.

Dr Li, chairman of the university’s department of microbiology and immunology, said: ‘Over the years, it has become appreciated that platelets are doing more than just clotting.’

Aspirin thins the blood by blocking platelet activity, scientists believe. The laboratory tests involved giving mice melanoma skin cancer and then a form of immunotherapy that programmes T-cells to target tumours.

Researchers now want to know if combination therapy with anti-platelet drugs could improve existing cancer treatment.