Antacids may improve head and neck cancer survival

Source: www.webmd.com Author: Robert Preidt Using antacids to control acid reflux may improve head and neck cancer patients' chances of survival, a new study suggests. The researchers examined the effects that two types of antacids -- proton pump inhibitors and histamine 2 blockers -- had on head and neck cancer patients. More than two-thirds of the nearly 600 patients in the study took one or both types of the antacids after their cancer diagnosis. Acid reflux -- commonly known as heartburn -- is a common side effect of chemotherapy or radiation treatment, according to the researchers. Proton pump inhibitors include drugs such as Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid, while histamine 2 blockers include drugs such as Tagamet, Zantac and Pepcid. Compared to patients who didn't take antacids, those who took proton pump inhibitors had a 45 percent lower risk of death, according to the researchers. They also found that those who took histamine 2 blockers had a 33 percent lower risk of death. The study is published in the December issue of the journal Cancer Prevention Research. "We had suspicions that these medications somehow had a favorable impact on patient outcomes. This led us to review our large cohort of patients and screen them for common medications, focusing on antacids. In fact, our study did show that people taking antacids are doing better," study author Dr. Silvana Papagerakis, research assistant professor of otolaryngology--head and neck surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School, said in a university news release. It's not [...]

2014-12-08T13:22:38-07:00December, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

Gastric Reflux Is an Independent Risk Factor for Laryngopharyngeal Carcinoma

Source: http://cebp.aacrjournals.orgAuthors: Scott M. Langevin1,2,Dominique S. Michaud1,Carmen J. Marsit4,5,Heather H. Nelson6,7,Ariel E. Birnbaum3,Melissa Eliot1,Brock C. Christensen4,5,Michael D. McClean8, and Karl T. Kelsey1,2  Abstract Background: Gastric reflux can reach into the upper airway, inducing cellular damage in the epithelial lining. This condition is believed to be a risk factor for development of laryngopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LPSCC), although the literature is conflicting. Methods: To better clarify this relationship, we assessed the association of self-reported heartburn history and medication use among 631 patients with LPSCCs and 1234 control subjects (frequency-matched on age, gender, and town of residence) enrolled as part of a population-based case–control study of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in the greater Boston area. Results: After adjusting for age, gender, race, smoking, alcohol consumption, HPV16 seropositivity, education, and body mass index, subjects reporting a history of frequent heartburn and who were neither a heavy smoker nor heavy drinker had a significantly elevated risk of LPSCCs [OR, 1.78; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.00–3.16]. Among those with a history of heartburn, there was an inverse association between antacid use and LPSCCs relative to those never taking heartburn medication (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.38–0.93) that remained consistent when analyzed by smoking/drinking status, HPV16 status, or by primary tumor site. Conclusions: Our data show that gastric reflux is an independent risk factor for squamous cancers of the pharynx and larynx. Further studies are needed to clarify the possible chemopreventive role of antacid use for patients with gastric reflux. Impact: Elucidation of additional risk factors for head [...]

2013-06-10T16:27:36-07:00June, 2013|Oral Cancer News|

Heartburn and throat cancer: is there a link?

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com Author: staff Heartburn may raise a person's risk for throat cancer, but it seems that antacids could have a protective effect, according to a new study. The research, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, shows that people with a history of frequent heartburn, also known as acid reflux, have a 78 percent higher risk of developing vocal cord or throat cancers. But they also found that for people with frequent heartburn, taking antacids can lower risk of these cancers by 41 percent. "Additional studies are needed to validate the chemopreventive effects of antacids among patients with frequent heartburn," study researcher Scott M. Langevin, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow at Brown University, said in a statement. "The identification of gastric reflux as a risk factor for throat and vocal cord cancers, however, may have implications in terms of risk stratification and identification of high-risk patients." The study included 631 people who were part of a case-control study in Boston, 468 of whom had throat cancer and 163 of whom had vocal cord cancer, as well as 1,234 people with no cancer history. Researchers analyzed family history of cancer, smoking history and drinking history of all the study participants, as well as presence of HPV 16 viral protein antigens since HPV can cause some head and neck cancers. Researchers found that the increased risk for throat and vocal cord cancers was higher among the people experiencing frequent heartburn, even when they had no history of smoking or [...]

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