Pain Killer Lowers Breast Cancer Recurrence More Than Half

The painkiller a woman takes after a mastectomy may influence the odds of breast cancer recurrence, a new study suggests.

Study Details

Researchers at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium looked for links between painkiller use and breast cancer recurrence in 327 women from one to four years after they underwent a mastectomy.

Women who received a powerful prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) called ketorolac (sold as Toradol and Acular) which is related to aspirin and ibuprofen, were less likely to develop a recurrence of breast cancer. Their rate was 6% compared with 17% for those who received other drugs for pain.

The link between the painkiller and lower searchers adjusted for factors such as patient age and stage of cancer.

The study was published in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia.