People who take aspirin every day may be at lower risk of developing colon cancer, a study suggests.
The common painkiller appears to supercharge immune cells in the digestive tract which help fend off tumor cells from multiplying and spreading.
Other studies have linked aspirin use to an up to 40 percent lower risk of colon cancer.
But researchers do not recommend using the OTC drug as a preventative because it can lead to stomach ulcers, internal bleeding and even strokes.
The over-the-counter medication is typically used to reduce inflammation and make blood less thick, reducing the risk of a heart attack or stroke (stock image)
The above graph shows colon cancer cases among under 50s by year. There is a drop in 2020 because the Covid pandemic led to fewer people coming forward for screenings
Dr Mona Rezapour, a gastroenterologist at UCLA, said in response to previous research: ‘We know that aspirin reduces the risk of colon cancer.
‘But we don’t recommend it to the general population yet because the benefits don’t outweigh the risks for everyone.’
For the study, researchers analyzed tissue samples from 238 colon cancer patients who were diagnosed with the disease between 2015 and 2019.
Of these, 12 percent — or 29 people — were found to be long-term aspirin users.
A comparison of the two groups showed that those who took aspirin daily had higher levels of CD80 — a protein linked to higher immune cell activity.
They were also found to have fewer cancerous cells around the lymph nodes – small bean-shaped structures that are part of the body’s immune system – and more immune cells circulating within tumors.
The researchers said in the paper: ‘These observations suggest an [immune-enhancing] effect of aspirin in the [colon].
‘This is through the activation of [immune cell] “cross-talk”,’ or added communication between cells.
The study is not the first to suggest aspirin can prevent colon cancer, with other papers suggesting it slashes the risk by up to 40 percent via cutting inflammation.
US Preventive Services Task Force officials — behind treatment recommendations — have also examined aspirin for its cancer preventive effects.
But they have warned against regular use of the drug in the general population, saying the benefits do not outweigh the risk.
They pointed to side effects including damage to the kidneys, internal bleeding and irritation to the lining of the stomach resulting in ulcers.
About 40million Americans take aspirin every day, normally to protect against strokes or heart disease.
It comes amid a mystery spike in colon cancer cases among adults under 50 years old, striking celebrities including Chadwick Boseman — who played King T’Challa in the Black Panther.
Nearly 18,000 cases are now diagnosed in the age group every year, compared to 12,000 a year pre-2000.
An even bigger rise has been seen among all cancers affecting the digestive tract.
Early-onset cancers of all forms are also on the rise, increasing by 79 percent from 1990 to 2019 globally, according to an analysis published in BMJ Oncology last year.
Scientists are stumped as to the cause of the uptick, blaming everything from antibiotics to obesity and even a type of fungus.
A $25million global probe has also been launched to attempt to track down the causes.
