Antidepressants May Fight Colorectal Cancer

scotty · 03-29-2006, 11:24 PM

And they'll make the blind see and the lame walk!

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/heal.../03/27/hscout5
31788.html

Antidepressants May Fight Colorectal Cancer
03.27.06, 12:00 AM ET

MONDAY, March 27 (HealthDay News) -- A pioneering study supports a
theory that a widely used class of antidepressant drugs can also
fight cancers, such as colorectal cancer, Canadian researchers report.

The drugs, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs),
include such popular medications as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft. The
study was based on reports that serotonin, the body chemical linked
to depression, also promotes the growth of cancer cells, said Dr.
Jean-Paul Collet, professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at
McGill University in Montreal.

To test the validity of those reports, Collet and his colleagues
turned to an existing database of Saskatchewan residents enrolled in
a prescription drug plan. They found about a 30 percent lower
incidence of colorectal cancer among people who took high doses of
SSRIs, compared to those who did not take the drugs. No such
reduction was found in people taking the older class of tricyclical
antidepressants.

The results might apply to other cancers as well, Collet said, "but
we chose colorectal cancer because the colon is rich in serotonin."
And while the results are very preliminary, he said the study had the
advantage of producing results in just six months.

"Now, even knowing the limitations of our study, it is a very strong
piece of information to identify how to conduct future studies to
validate the results," he said.

The results appear in the April issue of the journal Lancet Oncology.

The study drew a measured response from Dr. Henrik Toft Sorensen,
professor of clinical epidemiology at Aarhus University in Denmark,
who wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal.

"It is an interesting paper, but the study needs to be replicated by
other groups," Sorensen said. "I can't rule out that the results
might be due to bias."

Until carefully controlled studies are done, "treatment of colorectal
cancer should not be changed," he said.

Collet said: "The next step should be to study the effects of SSRIs
in high-risk populations, such as persons with a family history of
colorectal cancer, to see whether in this treatment we can find
protection. Also, studies might be done in patients who have cancer,
to see whether after surgery, we could reduce the rate of recurrence
or metastasis [spread of cancer elsewhere in the body]."

Future studies would have to take into account such factors as diet,
use of other drugs and the presence of diseases such as diabetes and
inflammatory bowel disease, which can affect the risk of colorectal
cancer, the researchers wrote.

If studies do confirm the cancer-fighting effects of SSRIs, that
could boost sales of the already-popular drugs. About 100 million
SSRI prescriptions are written each year in the United States, and
the number of prescriptions in Canada rose from 3.2 million in 1981
to 14.5 million in 2000, the report said.

angels · 03-30-2006, 05:25 AM

Oh, Laurie, sometimes you're just so cynical.

scotty · 03-30-2006, 06:18 AM

Yup, very cynical!! Note, no mention of family history,diet, as a consideration

seahorse18 · 03-31-2006, 04:39 PM

I would be more inclined to think that it will turn out that SSRI's actually cause cancer. It seems like there is an overwhelm of "scientific" studies which, in the end, either contradict themselves (or other studies) or give out false information (either intentionally or unintentionally).

I would not be a bit surprised to find out later that this "study" has been shaded to look good for psychotropics - all in Pharma's quest to pull in the green stuff.

zappelina · 04-02-2006, 04:15 AM

The SSRIs have also been connected to the development of breast cancer so using them to prevent the risk of one type of cancer may in fact increase the risk of getting another one. I would like to know who funded this study, wouldn´t be surprised at all if it´s one of the SSRI producers.

Dream · 04-02-2006, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zappelina

I would like to know who funded this study, wouldn´t be surprised at all if it´s one of the SSRI producers.

Aren't they all?

03-29-2006, 11:24 PM	#1
scotty Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: new jersey Posts: 46,992	Antidepressants May Fight Colorectal Cancer And they'll make the blind see and the lame walk! http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/heal.../03/27/hscout5 31788.html Antidepressants May Fight Colorectal Cancer 03.27.06, 12:00 AM ET MONDAY, March 27 (HealthDay News) -- A pioneering study supports a theory that a widely used class of antidepressant drugs can also fight cancers, such as colorectal cancer, Canadian researchers report. The drugs, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), include such popular medications as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft. The study was based on reports that serotonin, the body chemical linked to depression, also promotes the growth of cancer cells, said Dr. Jean-Paul Collet, professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at McGill University in Montreal. To test the validity of those reports, Collet and his colleagues turned to an existing database of Saskatchewan residents enrolled in a prescription drug plan. They found about a 30 percent lower incidence of colorectal cancer among people who took high doses of SSRIs, compared to those who did not take the drugs. No such reduction was found in people taking the older class of tricyclical antidepressants. The results might apply to other cancers as well, Collet said, "but we chose colorectal cancer because the colon is rich in serotonin." And while the results are very preliminary, he said the study had the advantage of producing results in just six months. "Now, even knowing the limitations of our study, it is a very strong piece of information to identify how to conduct future studies to validate the results," he said. The results appear in the April issue of the journal Lancet Oncology. The study drew a measured response from Dr. Henrik Toft Sorensen, professor of clinical epidemiology at Aarhus University in Denmark, who wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal. "It is an interesting paper, but the study needs to be replicated by other groups," Sorensen said. "I can't rule out that the results might be due to bias." Until carefully controlled studies are done, "treatment of colorectal cancer should not be changed," he said. Collet said: "The next step should be to study the effects of SSRIs in high-risk populations, such as persons with a family history of colorectal cancer, to see whether in this treatment we can find protection. Also, studies might be done in patients who have cancer, to see whether after surgery, we could reduce the rate of recurrence or metastasis [spread of cancer elsewhere in the body]." Future studies would have to take into account such factors as diet, use of other drugs and the presence of diseases such as diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease, which can affect the risk of colorectal cancer, the researchers wrote. If studies do confirm the cancer-fighting effects of SSRIs, that could boost sales of the already-popular drugs. About 100 million SSRI prescriptions are written each year in the United States, and the number of prescriptions in Canada rose from 3.2 million in 1981 to 14.5 million in 2000, the report said. __________________ AKA Laurie "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." MLK

03-30-2006, 05:25 AM	#2
angels Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 3,052	Re: Antidepressants May Fight Colorectal Cancer Oh, Laurie, sometimes you're just so cynical. __________________ Are we anti-med? I thought we were pro-heal? There's no SSRI on the market that cures anything. Therefore, SSRIs are anti-heal.. Darcy Baston There is more than lies within those shiny brochures in the a pharma reps' trunk.Sometimes you have to look beyond the marketing machine to get the facts. Laurie Yorke

03-30-2006, 06:18 AM	#3
scotty Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: new jersey Posts: 46,992	Re: Antidepressants May Fight Colorectal Cancer Yup, very cynical!! Note, no mention of family history,diet, as a consideration __________________ AKA Laurie "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." MLK

03-31-2006, 04:39 PM	#4
seahorse18 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 301	Re: Antidepressants May Fight Colorectal Cancer I would be more inclined to think that it will turn out that SSRI's actually cause cancer. It seems like there is an overwhelm of "scientific" studies which, in the end, either contradict themselves (or other studies) or give out false information (either intentionally or unintentionally). I would not be a bit surprised to find out later that this "study" has been shaded to look good for psychotropics - all in Pharma's quest to pull in the green stuff.

04-02-2006, 04:15 AM	#5
zappelina Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sweden Posts: 2,387	Re: Antidepressants May Fight Colorectal Cancer The SSRIs have also been connected to the development of breast cancer so using them to prevent the risk of one type of cancer may in fact increase the risk of getting another one. I would like to know who funded this study, wouldn´t be surprised at all if it´s one of the SSRI producers. __________________ AD history: Celexa 20 mg 1997-98. Quit CT, no WD problems. Paxil/Seroxat 20 mg 2001-2003 then switched to 50 mg Zoloft without any WD problems after the switch. Zoloft later increased to 75 mg. 2004 tapered Zoloft too quickly after sudden onset of muscle stiffness and extreme restlessness on full dose. Severe and prolonged WD problem with a long list of symptoms. Considerable mental but very little physical improvement so far. Last Zoloft dose April 18 2004.

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