Omer Yilmaz, MD, PhD

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major cause of cancer-related deaths, mostly due to the risk of cancer metastasis to the liver. This is because while we can detect and treat cancer that is limited to the primary location, we are, till date, unable to treat cancer that spreads to other parts of the body, creating the urgent need for new, life-saving treatments to fight cancer spread. Several studies have established that long-term use of aspirin, a common and inexpensive medicine, can help lower the risk of CRC. However, recent results from studying patients surprisingly showed that aspirin can increase the risk of cancer metastasis and death, especially among older adults. We further discovered that while aspirin may slow down how CRC starts, it can also help the growth of tumors after they have spread to the liver. We also found that this unexpected effect of aspirin on cancer spread is via suppressing the body’s immune system and its ability to fight cancer cells. This means drugs that counter the effect of aspirin may be able to help our immune system fight cancer spreading to the liver. We propose to understand how aspirin influences the immunity in the liver to fight cancer, as well as test whether drugs that oppose aspirin’s effects can inhibit cancer metastasis. We will also test the association of aspirin with metastasis within CRC patients. Ultimately, our new understanding of this process will help us build new treatments to fight cancer that spreads to the liver.