Most cancer deaths happen because the disease spreads to other parts of the body.
This process, called metastasis, allows cancer cells to move from the original tumor to new locations, often forming small clusters that are too tiny for doctors to see or remove during surgery.
To try and get rid of these leftover cells, many patients receive chemotherapy after surgery.
But chemotherapy isn’t perfect. It can cause inflammation in the body, which might actually help cancer cells spread. That’s why researchers have been looking for new ways to prevent metastasis—and a recent study from Emory University suggests that a common anti-inflammatory drug might help.
The drug is called ketorolac. It’s an FDA-approved medication usually used for short-term pain relief. In this study, researchers found that giving ketorolac before surgery may help the immune system attack and destroy cancer cells that are trying to spread.
The drug appears to reduce harmful inflammation and boost the body’s natural defenses at the same time.
This could explain earlier studies that showed breast cancer patients who received ketorolac during surgery were less likely to have their cancer return or spread. The new research used mice to test how the drug worked. The results were encouraging: ketorolac helped remove cancer cells that had already spread and led to longer survival.
The study didn’t stop there. Scientists also tested a combination of ketorolac with low-dose aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids. They found that this combination worked even better to prevent cancer from spreading and helped the mice live even longer.
This suggests that combining multiple anti-inflammatory treatments might be a powerful way to stop metastasis.
Even though ketorolac is already approved and available, it’s not commonly used for cancer because of concerns about possible side effects. Still, the study’s authors believe the benefits could outweigh the risks, especially if the drug is used for only a short time around surgery.
The research team, led by Dr. Vikas P. Sukhatme, hopes these findings will lead to new treatment options for people with cancer. They are now exploring how ketorolac could be used alongside other cancer therapies to improve outcomes for patients.
This study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, shows how existing medications can be repurposed to fight cancer in new ways. Although more research is needed, this approach could give doctors another tool to stop cancer from spreading—and potentially save more lives.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about Research finds a new cause of cancer growth and findings of Scientists find the missing link between autoimmune diseases and blood cancer.
For more about cancer, please read studies about A common blood thinner can help fight cancer and findings of Heavy alcohol drinking is common in cancer patients.
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