Ibuprofen ‘cuts cancer risk’

THE painkiller ibuprofen can cut the risk of bowel cancer by more than a quarter, a major new study shows.

Researchers from Spain and Serbia trawled through data from one million people and found that regular use of the popular over-the-counter drug protected some groups against the disease – especially women and those over 40.

Ibuprofen belongs to a class of drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS.

The theory is that ibuprofen stifles tumour development by dampening inflammation in the bowel.

Aspirin, also an NSAID, was not part of the study because of its links to stomach bleeds.