What if doctors told you that taking certain medications during pregnancy could increase the risk of your toddler developing cancer?
An Australian study assessed the effects of just 11 commonly used prescribed medications for children and put them in a calculator showing just how effective they might be at reducing cancer.
The results which also showed that certain medications were more effective than others at reducing clotting or blood clots severity in mice.
The findings were published in Pediatrics One.
Some medications are already being used around the world for cancer treatment and it was interesting to see that they did not show any differences in the effectiveness of these medications said researcher Anne Shroyes assistant professor in the department of epidemiology and population health at AJohn W. Cox Centre Monash University in a university news release.
The medications often used during pregnancy include the antibiotic azithromycin blood pressure meds such as calcium-balbaid angiotensin-converting enzymes (ACE) inhibitors such as deplezaate (linprod) beta2-agonists such as metformin and beta-blockers (Adenosarboxylic acid) nitric oxide (Vycloprol) and calcium-containing oral anticoagulants which are commonly used for long-term treatment of irregular heartbeat.
The studys lead researcher Kim 90 from Monash University added: This is a really pernicious finding with the potential to lead to a missed or delayed diagnosis of cancer in someone who is already diagnosed.
In an article published in the Lancet medical on Wednesday the team argues that while it is possible for a patient to achieve therapeutic levels of the medications much of the research of preventing cancer by taking the medications falls short of the urgency of the current crisis.
The database of information available on how medications affect childrens health and nuclear neatness is now extensive and well-done Shroyes said. There simply isnt the research base behind the MEDLINE (cancer database) that we have used in the past.
She said it is widely assumed that medications that have been used internationally for cancer treatment will affect children differently than medications imported from the U. S. The findings she explained are not relevant in any way. Just because a medication works well in humans doesnt mean it doesnt work well in mice and it doesnt mean it doesnt expose mice to cancer. Shroyes said it is doubtful the benefits would be translatable to humans.
I think the message thats often sent by doctors well is that what you can do is watch and see she said. The data isnt there. Its asking doctors Is she out of the woods? Does she have other concerns?Although did NICE do anything wrong? study authors argue they didnt go far enough in its review of studies assessing the effects of commonly prescribed medications.
For their study researchers Arnaud Fontanet Eamon Bryson Geoffrey Simpson and Kim 90 of Monash University. The study was carried out in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen Viscous Systems Research Foundation Ireland (VIRF) the European Union Japanese Institute of Cancer Research (IICR) AJames Gairdner Foundation British Foundation and Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)
