Clipping Board » Drug Poisoning ─ It is necessary to be aware of the toxic side effects before taking medication.
Compiled by Ying Xiaoduan, New York, September 2, 2010
A new study by British researchers suggests that individuals who take large amounts of osteoporosis drugs for several years may have a higher risk of developing esophageal cancer.
According to the Associated Press, this observational study does not prove that osteoporosis medications cause cancer. Typically, the chance of developing esophageal cancer for people aged 60 to 79 is one in a thousand. However, the study found that those who were prescribed osteoporosis drugs more than ten times over five years had a two in a thousand chance of developing the disease. The researchers did not find any link between these drugs and stomach or bowel cancer. Doctors commonly prescribe osteoporosis drugs to postmenopausal women, and their use has surged in Western countries in recent years.
Jane Green, a clinical epidemiologist at the University of Oxford and one of the study's authors, said, "Esophageal cancer is an uncommon cancer, so even if the risk appears to double, it remains very small. The likelihood of developing esophageal cancer from taking osteoporosis drugs is far lower than known risk factors such as obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption."
Esophageal cancer often occurs later in life. For example, actor Michael Douglas, now 65, announced in mid-August that he had been diagnosed with the disease. He stated that doctors estimated an 80% survival rate after treatment, though generally, survival rates decrease with age.
Green noted that the new findings should not deter patients currently taking osteoporosis medications, but they should monitor their effects closely. She said that prescriptions for bisphosphonates, a type of osteoporosis drug, are becoming increasingly common, but "we know too little about the long-term effects." Side effects of these drugs include throat ulcers, abdominal pain, and irregular heartbeat.
Experts are unsure why these drugs might contribute to esophageal cancer, but they may cause inflammation in the esophagus, making users more susceptible to the disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports of dozens of people developing esophageal cancer after taking osteoporosis drugs, but there is no evidence proving these medications cause cancer.
Source: http:/ / www. worldjournal. com/ ……A8% E9% 9A% AA? instance=us_bull
High Doses of Bone-Strengthening Drugs Increase Throat Cancer Risk
A new study by British researchers suggests that individuals who take large amounts of osteoporosis drugs for several years may have a higher risk of developing esophageal cancer.
According to the Associated Press, this observational study does not prove that osteoporosis medications cause cancer. Typically, the chance of developing esophageal cancer for people aged 60 to 79 is one in a thousand. However, the study found that those who were prescribed osteoporosis drugs more than ten times over five years had a two in a thousand chance of developing the disease. The researchers did not find any link between these drugs and stomach or bowel cancer. Doctors commonly prescribe osteoporosis drugs to postmenopausal women, and their use has surged in Western countries in recent years.
Jane Green, a clinical epidemiologist at the University of Oxford and one of the study's authors, said, "Esophageal cancer is an uncommon cancer, so even if the risk appears to double, it remains very small. The likelihood of developing esophageal cancer from taking osteoporosis drugs is far lower than known risk factors such as obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption."
Esophageal cancer often occurs later in life. For example, actor Michael Douglas, now 65, announced in mid-August that he had been diagnosed with the disease. He stated that doctors estimated an 80% survival rate after treatment, though generally, survival rates decrease with age.
Green noted that the new findings should not deter patients currently taking osteoporosis medications, but they should monitor their effects closely. She said that prescriptions for bisphosphonates, a type of osteoporosis drug, are becoming increasingly common, but "we know too little about the long-term effects." Side effects of these drugs include throat ulcers, abdominal pain, and irregular heartbeat.
Experts are unsure why these drugs might contribute to esophageal cancer, but they may cause inflammation in the esophagus, making users more susceptible to the disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports of dozens of people developing esophageal cancer after taking osteoporosis drugs, but there is no evidence proving these medications cause cancer.
Source: http:/ / www. worldjournal. com/ ……A8% E9% 9A% AA? instance=us_bull