Irish scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding how cancer spreads around the body.

It is hoped that their study in this area will aid the development of new drugs to fight cancer.

The scientists from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) looked specifically at how cancer cells ‘hijack' platelets.

Platelets are blood cells that have an important role in clotting. However, the study found that in people with cancer, the cancer cells that move around in the bloodstream ‘hijack' the platelets, causing them to behave abnormally.

The cancer cells encourage the platelets to clot around the cancer cell. This has the effect of protecting the cancer cells from the body's immune system. It also allows the cancer to spread to other parts of the body.

The study focused on prostate cancer and according to its senior author, Prof Niamh Moran, this marks ‘the first time that the exact molecular mechanisms at play between prostate cancer cells and platelets have been understood'.

"It was already known that cancer patients with a higher platelet count had worse outcomes, but we now know what causes this negative effect. Our study paves the way for the development of new anti-cancer treatments that may potentially prevent the spread of cancer," she commented.

The study was funded by the Health Research Board and the findings were presented at the RCSI's annual Research Day.