Sometimes treatment is worse than the disease, but this is ridiculous!
This is one of those studies where you would probably be very happy to find out you were in the placebo group.
Researchers from a wide range of cancer research centers (Stanford, Columbia, National Cancer Institute) recruited 60 people with a genetic predisposition to the most common form of cancer: basal cell skin cancer.
Research in mice has shown that non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may curb basal cell growth. So for this study, about half the subjects were given a daily dose of Celebrex, the NSAID most commonly taken by arthritis patients.
Results showed that Celebrex slowed the progress of basal cell carcinoma compared to placebo, but only in patients with less severe cases of the cancer.
Anything else? Well, just this…
Celebrex carries a black box warning about increased risk of fatal heart attack and stroke. And: “This risk may increase with duration of use.” There’s also a note in there about higher risk of serious gastrointestinal events that can be fatal and may occur suddenly without symptoms.
Okay, let’s review: You’ve got a mild case of a mild cancer that’s fairly easy to treat and is rarely fatal. So to delay the growth of the cancer, would you take a drug with killer side effects?
Sometimes a treatment is worse than the disease, but this is ridiculous!
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Source:
Anti-inflammatory Drugs in Genetically Predisposed PTCH1 Humans and Mice” Cancer Prevention Research, Vol. 3, No. 1, 1/1/10, cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org
