Beware, Trigger Cancer Pain Relief Drugs

Take care when using pain medication in the long term. New study shows, the consumption of class of pain reliever acetaminophen and paracetamol increase the risk of blood cancer.

Although the risks are low and not known with certainty the mechanism, the results of such research adds to evidence a link between cancer and pain medication (painkiller).

In early studies it is known that the use of aspirin may lower risk of death from colon cancer, but on the other hand increase the risk of stomach bleeding. However, it is not clear whether the bleeding was due to blood cancer or hematology.



"Previously only a little evidence to confirm that aspirin lowered the risk of hematologic cancer (related to blood)," said Emily White, a researcher in the field of cancer.

In individual cases indeed there are links that consumption of pain medication increased the risk of cancer. However, such individual studies are not considered scientific proof before been studied in large populations in the long term.

"Our study is highly prospective," White said, although he could not conclude analgesic drugs cause cancer.

In his research, White and his team followed more than 65,000 elderly men and women in the State of Washington, USA. Respondents were asked about their eating habits pain medication in the past 10 years and they certainly do not suffer from cancer, except skin cancer.

Six years since the start of the study, 577 people or less than 1 percent had cancer involving the blood cells, such as lymphoma.

More than 9 percent of people suffering from cancer was used pain reliever acetaminophen compared with 5 percent of people who also eat, but do not have cancer.

Then, after considering the factors of age, arthritis, and family history of suffering from blood cancer, turned out to people who take pain medication in the long run two times greater risk of suffering from cancer.

"People over the age of 50 years have an increased risk of blood cancer in 10 years. However, if you are taking acetaminophen at least four times a week for a minimum of four years, earlier cancer risk will increase to 2 percent," said White.

In this study, found no association between other analgesics such as ibuprofen and aspirin.

Dr. Raymond DuBois, cancer prevention expert, said, acetaminophen or paracetamol work differently compared with other analgesic drugs that have different effects on cancer.

"However, it remains surprising that the use of acetaminophen increases the risk of blood cancer," he said.

Meanwhile, manufacturers are producing Tylenol, pain reliever acetaminophen, did not respond to the results of this research.

White also said it was too early to make recommendations related to the results of this research. Still, he said there was no pain medication that is free from side effects. "Long-term use counter medicines are causing harmful effects," he said.

Source:
Reuters