Every day, around 29 million people in the U.S. take a low dose of aspirin as a blood thinner to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes. Aspirin prevents blood clots by stopping thrombocytes, also called platelets, from clumping together. Current research suggests aspirin may have another pharmacological benefit — the prevention of cancer progression.
Previous studies have shown that people taking low-dose aspirin had lower chances of metastasis in breast, bowel, and prostate cancer, inspiring researchers at the University of Cambridge to uncover the mechanism behind this effect. Their study, published in Nature, demonstrates how aspirin could reduce the metastasis of certain cancers by stimulating the immune system.
