Researchers identify common painkiller that may prevent endometrial cancer
Ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is normally used to relieve pain, reduce fever, and decrease inflammation.
What you need to know:
- Endometrial cancer is the most common type of womb cancer which mainly affects women after menopause.
Researchers have established that Ibuprofen, a common over-the-counter painkiller, may significantly lower the risk of endometrial cancer, the most common type of womb cancer which mainly affects women after menopause.
The findings, published in a 2025 peer-reviewed study by the European Medical Journal, indicate that the drug's potential cancer-protective effects could extend to bowel, breast, lung, and prostate cancers as well. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is normally used to relieve pain, reduce fever, and decrease inflammation.
Endometrial cancer starts in the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) and is the second-most common gynecologic malignancy globally after cervical cancer. According to the Kenya Society of Haematology & Oncology, while less common in Kenya with an incidence rate of 1.7 per cent, it remains a significant health threat, typically diagnosed in postmenopausal women aged 60-64.
The study analysed data from 42,394 women aged 55 to 74 over 16 years - between 1993 and 2001. During a median follow-up of 12 years, 678 cases of endometrial cancer were identified.
The key finding was that women who reported taking at least 30 ibuprofen tablets per month had a 25 per cent lower risk of developing endometrial cancer compared to those who took fewer than four tablets monthly. This protective effect was most pronounced in women with a history of cardiovascular disease.
The connection between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cancer prevention isn't new; clinical evidence dates back to 1983, when evidence linked sulindac – an older prescription NSAID similar to ibuprofen – to a reduced incidence of colon cancer.
The researchers explained that the most significant preventable risk factor for endometrial cancer is being overweight or obese as excess body fat increases estrogen levels, a hormone that can stimulate cancer cell growth.
Other risk factors include older age, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) particularly oestrogen-only HRT, diabetes, and polycystic ovary syndrome.
As per the findings of the new study, early onset of menstruation, late menopause, or not having children also increases risk. Symptoms include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, and discomfort during sex.
How Ibuprofen works
Dr Alex Ng’eny, a consultant physician at Mogotio Sub-County Hospital, explained that ibuprofen works by blocking the production of prostaglandins, which are natural substances in the body that cause pain, fever, and inflammation.
“Ibrufopen does so by inhibiting the enzymes COX-1 and COX-2, which are responsible for producing prostaglandins,” he said.
“Ibuprofen is used to provide temporary relief for a wide range of conditions namely menstrual cramps, mild to moderate pain including headaches (such as migraines), backaches, and dental pain, fever and inflammation from arthritis, sprains, and other injuries,” the physician added.
He noted that apart from the latest findings, a number of studies shown that Ibuprofen may also affect cancer-related genes, making cancer cells more vulnerable and potentially more responsive to chemotherapy.
“Research has also found that ibuprofen can inhibit tumour growth, suppress angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels that tumours need to survive), and interfere with metastasis (the spread of cancer).”
Caution
Despite the promising results, the researchers emphasised that while ibuprofen may confer protective benefits, the observational nature of the study warrants caution.
“Further prospective, well-controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings and explore potential biological mechanisms underlying the protective association.
“For clinicians, the results highlight the importance of distinguishing between different nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs when considering cancer risk modification strategies,” the researchers stated while noting that the potential role of ibuprofen, especially in women with cardiovascular comorbidities, merits closer investigation before integration into preventive practice.
The World Health Organization classifies endometrial cancer into seven histologic types: endometrioid carcinoma, serous carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma, carcinosarcoma, mixed carcinoma, mesonephric carcinoma, and undifferentiated carcinoma.
A separate Kenyan study published last month in Frontiers, which analysed 123 patients from Aga Khan University Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, found that the most common type of endometrial cancer was endometrioid carcinoma (55.2 per cent) followed by serous carcinoma (26 per cent), and obesity was the most frequently reported
risk factor.
The researchers analysed biopsy and resection specimens from patients diagnosed with endometrioid carcinoma at the two sites between 2012 and 2022. After collecting biodata (age, sex) and clinical information from patient charts, an initial 166 cases were identified. Of these, 43 were excluded due to insufficient tissue, missing tissue blocks, or a consensus review diagnosis other than endometrioid carcinoma, resulting in a final study population of 123 patients.
