In a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers found that an anti-inflammatory drug called ketorolac could help stop cancer metastasis if given before surgery.
Most cancer-related deaths stem from metastasis, the spread of cancer cells from a primary tumor to surrounding tissues or distant organs.
Chemotherapy is often given after or before surgery to eradicate these cancer cells in hopes of preventing cancer recurrence. However, chemotherapy can sometimes cause inflammation, which increases metastasis.
The finding may also help explain the antimetastatic effects of ketorolac, previously seen in human breast cancer surgery.
In the study, the team examined ketorolac’s antimetastatic effects. It is an inexpensive NSAID. The drug is only approved by the FDA for short-term pain management due to concerns about its side effects.
The team found that the drug could eradicate cancer metastasis in mice and prolong the survival of the animals. Also, when ketorolac was combined with low-dose aspirin and omega-3 fatty acid, the survival rate increased.
The results suggest that the drug ketorolac might help stop the spread of this disease. Researchers They hope their new findings can help develop a better treatment to prevent cancer from spreading to humans. They will examine how these approaches could be combined with other cancer therapies.
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