Researchers have now unveiled that aspirin assists the body's immune system in identifying and targeting cancer cells. The findings were published on Monday in the "Cancer" journal, associated with the American Cancer Society.

Aspirin is widely used for various conditions, including pain relief, fever reduction, and blood clot prevention. Studies have shown that regular aspirin consumption may decrease the incidence of certain cancers, such as colorectal, stomach cancer, etc. However, due to bleeding risk, its use should be approached with caution and always under a doctor's guidance to weigh benefits against potential hazards.

To examine aspirin's effect on colorectal cancer patients, researchers collected tissue samples from 238 patients who underwent surgery to remove colorectal tumors at the University of Padua Hospital in Italy. Among these patients, 12 percent were aspirin users.

Compared to non-aspirin users, tissue samples from aspirin users exhibited less cancer spread to lymph nodes and more infiltration of immune cells into the tumors. The study suggests aspirin may exert these protective effects by enhancing certain aspects of the body's immune response against cancer cells.

The laboratory analysis of colorectal cancer cells revealed that exposing these cells to aspirin increased the expression of a protein known as CD80 in some immune cells, boosting their ability to alert other immune cells to the presence of tumor-associated proteins.

In support of this, aspirin users with rectal cancer showed higher CD80 protein expression in healthy rectal tissues, indicating aspirin's immune-enhancing effect.

Dr. Marco Scarpa from the University of Padua, the study's lead researcher, told "Al-Sharq Al-Awsat," "Our study observed that colorectal cancer patients who used aspirin had a significant decrease in nodal metastases and a higher number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes compared to non-users."

Nodal metastases are crucial in staging cancer, while lymphocytes, as part of the immune system, play a key role in responding to cancer. An increase in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is a positive sign indicating the immune system's effort to attack and destroy the cancer.

Scarpa added that besides its impact on cancer cells, regular use of aspirin might directly enhance immune surveillance against colorectal cancer.

He pointed out the need for future studies to provide strong clinical evidence confirming the benefits of aspirin use for colorectal cancer patients, its effect on survival rates, and the potential advantages of specific doses for patients.