Cancer is a complex disease that becomes far more dangerous when it spreads to other parts of the body—a process called metastasis. Most cancer deaths happen because of metastasis, not the original tumor. This is because once cancer cells break away from the primary tumor, they travel through the body and start growing in new locations.
These tiny clusters of cells are often too small to be detected or removed during surgery, making it easy for them to grow again. This is why chemotherapy is usually given after surgery—to kill off any remaining cancer cells.
But chemotherapy isn’t perfect. It sometimes causes inflammation, which, surprisingly, can help cancer spread even more. This is one of the biggest challenges doctors face in trying to stop cancer from coming back after surgery. However, researchers at Emory University might have found a simple solution—a common painkiller called ketorolac.
Ketorolac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that’s been around for a long time. It’s used to relieve pain, but doctors don’t prescribe it very often because of concerns about side effects.
Even though it is approved by the FDA, it’s only recommended for short-term use. Despite its limited use, this old drug might have a powerful new purpose: stopping cancer cells from spreading during and after surgery.
The researchers at Emory discovered that giving ketorolac to mice before surgery helped the body’s immune system attack metastatic cancer cells. This effect wasn’t just small—it was significant. Mice that received ketorolac had fewer cancer cells spreading to other parts of their bodies, and they lived longer than those that didn’t get the drug.
What makes this discovery even more interesting is that it could explain some earlier studies. For example, breast cancer patients who received ketorolac during surgery were found to have a lower risk of metastasis. At the time, doctors weren’t sure why, but this new study might have uncovered the answer.
The researchers didn’t stop there. They tested a combination of ketorolac, low-dose aspirin, and omega-3 fatty acids on mice with cancer. The results were even better. This combination seemed to supercharge the body’s ability to fight off cancer cells. Not only did it prevent metastasis, but it also improved survival rates.
The idea of using everyday painkillers to fight cancer may sound surprising, but it actually makes sense. Inflammation plays a major role in helping cancer spread.
When the body is inflamed, it creates an environment where cancer cells can grow more easily. Anti-inflammatory drugs like ketorolac and aspirin reduce this inflammation, making it harder for cancer to take hold in new places.
This discovery has given researchers hope that ketorolac could be used to stop cancer spread in human patients too. Dr. Vikas P. Sukhatme, who led the study, believes that combining ketorolac with other cancer treatments could make a real difference. His team is now looking at how this could be done safely and effectively.
Of course, more research is needed before ketorolac becomes a standard part of cancer treatment. Scientists need to understand how it interacts with different types of cancer and with other medications. They also need to find out the best dosage and timing for giving it to patients. But the early results are promising.
If further studies confirm these findings, ketorolac could become an important tool in preventing cancer from spreading. This would not only improve survival rates but also the quality of life for cancer patients. It’s a simple idea—using an old painkiller in a new way—but sometimes, the simplest ideas are the most powerful.
For now, the researchers are continuing their work, hoping to turn these early successes into real-world treatments. Their findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, remind us that sometimes the answer to a big problem can come from the most unexpected places. A drug that’s been around for decades might just be the key to stopping cancer in its tracks.
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